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Media Literacy Rough Draft: Beijing Bicycle

Beijing Bicycle: Social Status and Acceptance

                Beijing Bicycle challenges social roles, social status, and social hierarchy within the  confines  of Beijing, China.  The film focuses on two teenage boys from different social classes who struggle to obtain a higher social status. The film's main protagonist, Guei, is from the countryside; however, recently moved to Beijing to establish a career. He was fortunate to find a job as a courier and given a brand new bicycle that he could keep only after he delivered a certain amount of messages.  The bicycle establishes a sense of social identity and status because, the majority of Beijing residents commute via bicycle. In owning the bike, Guei is free to travel the city as he pleases and he has become a part of the Beijing culture. Unfortunately, shortly after his employment his bike gets stolen. As a result, Guei is fired from his job; however,  begs his boss to keep his job if he finds the bicycle. Through the loss of the bicycle, Guei loses his identity in Beijing culture and social status as a mainstream citizen and his desperate attempt to find his bicycle parallels his need to regain his social status and social identity.

                When Guei loses his bicycle, the film introduces another protagonist named Jian, a teenage boy whose family lives in Beijing. Like Guei, he wants a bicycle but his family isn't able to afford it because his young sister will attend a prestigious school. Jian is a city boy who is surrounded by the Beijing culture and desires a bicycle in order to fit in with his peers and establish a social status.   Unlike Guei, Jian wants to fit into the culture to impress his friends---particularly a girl. Here, is it apparent that because these two young boys come from different social backgrounds, their desires to fit into soc iety are rooted in different reasons. For example, for Guei, the bicycle represents social status and social identity within the Beijing lifestyle of survival---he wants a job, to make a living, and to make sothing of himself that he wasn't able to in the country. Jian, however, perceives the bicycle as a symbol of social acceptance---to impress his peers and fit in with mainstream culture. Jian was never limited to career possibilities, because he was raised in the city; therefore, the bicycle doesn't carry as much weight for him as it does to Guei.

                Through the desperation of owning the bicycle the film exemplifies just how important social status and social acceptance is. Jian's father is unable to buy him a bicycle and instead of accepting that, Jian goes behind his father's back and steals money to buy the bicycle himself. Here, the film exemplifies that social acceptance and status is worth obtaining, even at the expense of family trust. However, when Guei confronts Jian's father, Jian's betrayal is exposed. After his exposure, Jian justifies himself by arguing that his father promised him a bicycle but, didn't keep his word. The bicycle, representing social acceptance and status, is worth more to Jian than family loyalty. Like, Jian, Guei sacrifices a lot to get back his stolen bicycle. He fights against a gang of Jian's friends numerous times and relentlessly pursues Jian. To Guei, the bicycle is his ticket into Beijing culture, success, and social status. Not only is Guei fighting to own the bicycle, he is fighting for a place in society and social identity. Both Guei and Jian sacrifice a lot to own the bicycle because, they both long for social status and social identity.

                Towards the end of the film, after constant battle for the bicycle, Guei and Jian decide to share the bicycle. This compromise illustrates the notion of camaraderie as a success factor for social acceptance and social status. During the film, Guei and Jian were fighting for social acceptance through owning the bicycle. If Guei, a country boy, had the bicycle he also established social acceptance; however, if Jian, a city boy, had the bicycle then he was the one with social acceptance. This back and forth fight for social identity was never successful until the boys decided to share the bicycle; thus granting one another a place amongst Beijing mainstream society.

                The film Beijing bicycle grants its audience with a glimpse inside Beijing culture and what it means to become socially and culturally accepted. For Guei, it means establishing a career