In the China where Yu Hua grew up, many people read banned novels, copied novels, and novels that were in the worst conditions. From an early age, children knew the power of writing; it was evident through the large-print posters. The posters pitted neighbor against neighbor and, rarely, families fell apart and the victim occasionally took their own life. Teachers asked school children to defame their character. In China in Ten Words, Yu Hua writes, “…if you don't write, you won't know what you are capable of creating” (Hua 80). He wrote and read even when he had nothing and, in doing so, made a difference in his