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
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