# The Chinese — Last and First Men character guide

> The Chinese in Last and First Men by Olaf Stapledon.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Chinese, the Chinese, The Chinese, the more old-fashioned Chinese

**First appearance:** 0012-iii-america-and-china

## Snapshot

A proudly nationalistic people who purge foreign culture from their schools while living, thinking, and consuming in thoroughly American ways.

## Who they are

Rising against American economic and cultural dominance, the Chinese revive pigtails, chopsticks, and the classics, yet their alphabet, slang, screens, and even metaphysics remain Mongolian variants of American thought. Their nationalism is real but superficial, a contradiction they cannot quite resolve. In the story's middle arc they embody the era's central irony: a rival power whose resistance to Americanism is itself conducted in American forms.

## In the story

### [IV: The Russo-German War](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/last_and_first_men_se/chapters/iv-the-russo-german-war)

Mobilize forces and remain in the League of Nations, hoping to use it against America.

### [II: Europe's Downfall](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/last_and_first_men_se/chapters/ii-europe-s-downfall)

The scientist who created the weapon and destroyed it, then took his own life.

### [I: Europe and America](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/last_and_first_men_se/chapters/i-europe-and-america)

China, half American, largely Russian, and wholly Eastern, improves its lands and industries while learning from militant Bolshevism.

### [II: The Origins of a Mystery](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/last_and_first_men_se/chapters/ii-the-origins-of-a-mystery)

The Chinese scientists are mentioned as being respected by the meeting, and the young physicist is one of them.

### [III: Europe Murdered](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/last_and_first_men_se/chapters/iii-europe-murdered)

Mentioned as the source of the scientist whose act triggered the war, though not directly present.

### [America and China](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/last_and_first_men_se/chapters/iii-america-and-china)

The Chinese are depicted as bland, dispassionate, and valuing rest and peace of mind, yet corrupted by American influence and fear.

### [The Rivals](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/last_and_first_men_se/chapters/i-the-rivals)

The Chinese mentality is portrayed as bland, artistic, classical, and rationalistic, valuing appearances and peace of mind over action.

### [The Conflict](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/last_and_first_men_se/chapters/ii-the-conflict)

The Chinese, fearing Americanization, demand control of Antarctic fuel and resist American moral intervention, leading to war and eventual occupation of Europe.

### [I: The Foundation of the First World State](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/last_and_first_men_se/chapters/i-the-foundation-of-the-first-world-state)

The Chinese are involved in the transition, experiencing 'American madness' and later developing the Energist movement.

### [V: Downfall](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/last_and_first_men_se/chapters/v-downfall)

Chinese agriculturists strike for power and are killed by Gordelpus's 'evil atmosphere'; later, China declares itself a free national state.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/last_and_first_men_se/characters/the_chinese
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/last_and_first_men_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/last_and_first_men_se/characters