In her memoir, Under Red Skies, Karoline Kan writes about her beliefs and familial relationship as she grows up in China. As a child, Kan’s beliefs mirror that of her family and China’s communist society; however, as she grows older, her inherent beliefs evolve to reflect her environment and newfound experiences. The divide between her family and herself grows as she experiences a more rich and diverse society that supports novel ideas like feminism. Kan uses contrast to emphasize her shifting mindset in her adulthood, highlighting how one’s circumstances and environment influence their inherent beliefs.

Kan uses opposing diction between her cousin, Chunting, her own beliefs to emphasize the divergence between them as adults, emphasizing how their unique circumstances shape their identities. Kan writes about her similarities with Chunting as kids; however, as they grow up, they lead drastically dichotomous lives: Chunting marries and becomes pregnant, while Kan goes to college (187). The juxtaposition between Chunting’s fixed marriage — and being stuck in poverty — with Kan’s ongoing high level of education reveals the start of their branching beliefs due to their divaricate environments. Due to China’s social structure that centers one’s jobs, wealth, and status around their level of education, Chunting — with her high-school education — struggles to find a job. She grows to acquire an extreme focus on money, and when she “listened to [Kan] go on and on about the importance of China’s feminist movement… [Chunting] said, in annoyance: ‘All that stuff doesn’t matter’” (252). Above all, Chunting’s environment is affected by making ends meet (she even works in a polluted menial factory to earn money). While Chunting may not be against Kan’s beliefs, she dismisses feminism as “stuff [that] doesn’t matter” to her, because she perceives money as the only pressing issue in her life; worrying about contemporary issues won’t improve Chunting’s harsh reality — a pay-check to pay-check life. Chunting cannot put aside her matters against poverty and fully support feminism as Kan does. Though Chunting listens to Kan talk about the feminist movement, she shows “annoyance” towards Kan, because of her privilege in both economic class and status. Kan, unlike Chunting, has the privilege to live in ignorance of poverty, and feels empowered by supporting feminism. China’s societal issues have contrary levels of impact and value for Kan and Chunting; feminism means everything for Kan, who feels helpless against sexist systems of oppression, while money means the world for Chunting, who feels the impacts systems of oppression upon the poor. Kan uses contrasting diction between herself and her cousin to show how their contrasting circumstances and experiences with money influence their viewpoints and beliefs.

Kan also employs idiosyncratic diction to emphasize how living in opposite environments shapes values, highlighting how their unique lifestyles impact their subconscious language, thoughts, and beliefs. In a conversation between Kan and her cousin, Chunting states:

“‘You’d better not become a leftover woman.’

‘How could you repeat that?’ [Kan] shot back, now red with anger…

‘Yeah, it is a bit insulting,’ [Chunting] said, as if realizing this for the first time” (254)

The laid-back manner that Chunting uses the term, “leftover woman,” without pretentiousness or belittlement towards women, shows how China’s mainstream social conditions influence her thoughts and speech. The term “leftover woman” is idiosyncratic diction, or slang, that Chunting subconsciously learns and uses because of her day-to-day interactions with China’s mainstream, sexist society. On the other hand, Kan’s exposure to an anti-feminist society that combats stereotypes and objectification of women causes her to immediately point out the derogatory nature of the term, which implies that single women are undesirable, or simply “leftover.” Kan feels “red with anger” hearing Chunting’s colloquial sexism because she feels that this expression is blatantly demeaning. However, in Chunting’s reply, it is evident that she does not realize that she has subscribed to China’s mainstream view of women, and her words were merely a product of her society’s influence. Kan later states that she “wanted Chunting to change her ways, just as I wanted China to change, but she wouldn’t” (254). Regarding contemporary issues, Kan repeatedly wishes for Chunting, as well as China, to support the feminism movement; she views Chunting as part of the stagnant anti-feminism culture of China, as her conformist environment naturally supports sexist stances — made evident in her casual use of the term “leftover woman.” Due to Kan and Chunting’s distinctive circumstances, they learn dissimilar values from society, which dictate their shifting beliefs about China’s contemporary issues of feminism in the 20th century.

Kan and Chunting’s relationship develops in a disparate manner as adults living in diverse worlds, than as children living in similar homes. Due to their varying levels of education, which lead them to varying levels of wealth — and consequently, environment — Kan and Chunting subscribe to contrasting societal ideals — the former focuses on feminism, and the latter focuses on poverty. Kan and Chunting’s distinct economic class not only impact their lifestyles but their beliefs. Kan realizes this later on: that it is essential to account for others’ circumstances when arguing for change; because ultimately, people’s environment do impact the beliefs they stand up and fight for.