Opinion: George Lee’s fictional autobiography reveals heart-wrenching truths about how ordinary individuals have endeavored to navigate a grim regime. He aims to provide assistance.
According to Vancouver lawyer and writer George Lee, one of the three primary deficiencies in Chinese society is the absence of diversity. He asserts, “All intellects are conditioned to think alike.”
Initially, I was unaware of the extraordinary life that George Lee had led during my initial interviews with him. However, the lawyer from Metro Vancouver is now beginning to unveil his narrative of growing up amidst the oppressive uniformity imposed by Chinese dictator Mao Zedong during the Cultural Revolution. His story is both distressing and heartwarming, portraying a tale of resilience.
I had previously known Lee in a professional capacity, given his occupation as an immigration lawyer in Burnaby who is willing to offer candid insights into Canada’s constantly evolving immigration landscape. Through Lee, readers of Postmedia have gained insights into various topics such as migration consultants for international students, employers creating opportunities for prospective immigrants, and the potential abuse faced by the approximately nine million individuals who enroll in , which are typically advantageous.
However, it was only recently that I discovered that immigration constitutes merely 20% of Lee’s bustling legal practice. A significant portion of his work is centered around divorce law, where he provides family mediation services.
Most surprisingly, it has come to light that Lee is a remarkable author. He was recently honored with Canada’s Guernica Prize for his exceptional book,
This work is a fictional memoir characterized by its beauty and lyricism, quietly leaving a profound impact. Drawing from his own survival amidst the harsh reality imposed by Mao from 1966 until his demise in 1976, Lee’s novel, “Dancing in the River,” offers poignant insights into how ordinary individuals attempted to navigate China’s oppressive regime, often with little success. Throughout this tumultuous period marked by chaos and oppression, during which up to two million Chinese citizens lost their lives, Lee resided in Wuhan from the age of four to fourteen.
With its poetic and allegorical narrative, “Dancing in the River” sheds light on the struggles of everyday individuals under China’s bleak regime. Many of them faced insurmountable challenges. Lee, separated from his parents who were detained as political prisoners and left permanently scarred, depicts the protagonist, Little Bright, enduring public humiliation at the hands of Communist authorities.
During a lunch meeting at a restaurant in Burnaby’s Metrotown business district, the youthful and composed 61-year-old Lee exuded seriousness and dignity.
He recounted a time when Mao’s regime tightly controlled the reading material accessible to the public, molding minds to think uniformly. Brainwashing and manipulation were rampant, with books being censored.
Similar to the protagonist in his novel, a young Lee discovered a sense of liberation by frequenting the local recycling center and salvaging prohibited books before their disposal or incineration. Among the forbidden texts that captivated him were Daniel Defoe’s “Robinson Crusoe,” a tale of a castaway, and “The Arabian Nights,” a compilation of Arabian folk stories.
During his youth under Mao Zedong’s oppressive rule, George Lee found solace in salvaging banned foreign books from the local recycling center before they were destroyed.
The second segment of Lee’s tripartite novel, which he describes as half factual and half creatively embellished, delves into how the ascension of President Deng Xiaoping in 1978 heralded a transformative era.
Deng ushered in an era of openness, opening up the nation of 800 million to the outside world. Following over a decade of dormancy, educational institutions were reinstated. Lee seized the opportunity and enrolled in a university.
He immersed himself in the study of English literature and language, both of which he holds in high regard. Delving into Western literature, Lee realized that Deng’s objective was for Chinese citizens to leverage their knowledge as a tool against the West, particularly in the realms of politics, science, and technology.
Despite this, Lee, inspired by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s detective stories featuring Sherlock Holmes, embarked on a quest to logically unravel the mystery of the superiority between Chinese and Western cultures.
Leveraging Deng’s relatively liberal policies, Lee applied to the University of Calgary to pursue English literature and was awarded a full scholarship. It was the year 1992, and he was 30 years old.
“My mind was inundated with inquiries.” While profoundly influenced by literary giants like Shakespeare and Charles Dickens, Lee transitioned to law school in Canada, focusing on survival. His aspirations as a writer began to take shape a decade ago.
Over time, Lee has come to the realization that China, both then and now, exhibits three fundamental deficiencies.
One such shortcoming is a lack of creativity. Another is the absence of enlightened inquiry. “There exists a void in the culture in terms of independent thought and rationality.”
The third inadequacy, as per Lee, is the dearth of diversity. “Individual intellects are molded into a singular entity.”
While Lee’s parents and grandmother, who remains his heroine despite being permanently disabled due to foot binding in her childhood, have passed away, he maintains ties with relatives residing in China, as does his wife. He is well aware of the potential consequences of outspokenness in such a milieu. “I’m not engrossed in politics,” he clarifies, “but I am fervently dedicated to advancing human liberties and the finest aspects of human nature.”
He aspires for his novel, which has garnered acclaim in the Western world, to be translated into Chinese.
According to Lee, China represents “a realm entirely distinct” from Canada.
“Many individuals perceive Chinese culture as vastly superior to all other cultures globally. A significant portion of the Chinese populace believes they inhabit paradise, when in reality, they reside in a state of incarceration. The most effective method of confinement is to prevent individuals from realizing they are imprisoned.”
Lee has observed that numerous affluent individuals in Metro Vancouver harbor criticisms of the ruling party while simultaneously enjoying the privileges associated with party membership.
For Lee, crafting a novel based on the initial phase of his life has been a cathartic experience. Throughout the writing process, tears were shed, and sleep was elusive.
“However, my heart feels unburdened, as if a heavy weight has been lifted. I can now forge ahead.”
In addition to his extensive reading, particularly in the realms of philosophy and metaphysics, Lee is in the process of developing a self-help guide for Chinese parents. He posits that certain traditional Chinese practices, such as rote memorization in education, may not be conducive to growth. He encourages Chinese individuals to explore beyond conventional boundaries.
Furthermore, he is gathering ideas for a new historical novel set during British Columbia’s gold rush era, drawing inspiration from the plight of a group of approximately twelve ailing Chinese men stranded on , a leper colony.
Unsurprisingly, the narrative will revolve around their resilience.
