In Under the Red Flag by Ha Jin, the author interweaves different stories to show the struggle of individuals to go against their natural instincts, as a means of comply with the standards of New China. . These standards were dictated by political leaders and established a new underlying moral basis that everyone is expected to respect. Although the stories are very different, the connection they share is made clear: they all struggle with societal pressures to change themselves or face the consequences of their difference. Two characters in particular: Ding Liang and Zhu Wenli, reveal the result of two different choices. Winds and Clouds Over a Funeral highlights the subject of the death of an old woman and her request which violates New China protocol. Before she dies, she tells her family that she wants to be buried; however, “today the government encourages people to cremate the dead in order to preserve arable land,” otherwise “there would be no land to farm if burials were not stopped” (46). The government explains that the shortage of “arable land” is a direct consequence of the many burials that have taken place over time. According to them, if people do not act responsibly and incinerate themselves, they will contribute to future agricultural tensions and essentially lead to the depletion of the country's food sources. Here the audience can see the challenge that awaits them. Ding wants to fulfill his mother's last request, which is to give her a proper burial that respects her traditional mindset. However, he faces the pressure of being “the leader of the commune,” given the “thousands of eyes [who] are watching him” (49). His decision to go against the government's demands is in the middle of paper......as shown in the novel. They often face external pressures that society imposes on them and if they choose not to conform, they are subject to the consequences of individualism. The laws of New China are underlying and not clearly expressed; however, there is a sense of societal acceptance of the ethical construction of these new protocols. The power held by the party is represented in the characters' decisions to go against their innate desires and conform to what is considered correct behavior. Their destiny is compromised, which stimulates their change of action. In conclusion, Jin's novel highlights the influence of communism and how many people cannot live freely, given that they reside in a society under the surveillance of party law enforcement and have no right to freedom. other choice than respecting the status quo. Red flag, Ha Jin