The primary theme developed by Ha Jin in his story called “A Decade”, which is one of twelve short stories included on the collection named Under The Red Flag, <em>was the war fought among China's youth and the Red Guards during China's Cultural Revolution</em> occurred between 1966 and 1976.
In such period of time, China's youth rose together against the four 'Olds old culture, old habits, old ideas, and old customs while the Red Guards empowered by Mao terrorize them in order to purge from them all Revolutionary ideas.
The primary theme of Ha Jin’s “A decade” would be the need to revisit one’s past to determine a path for the future.
“A Decade” is one of the twelve brief stories of Ha Jin’s Under the Red Flag, which takes place during the Cultural Revolution of China. Between 1966 and 1976, young people - some even teenagers - from China rose up to purge ancient culture, old habits, old ideas and old ways to determine a new path.
