In Wang Anyi's Dark Alley, the community of Shanghai's children is depicted as close knit and relatively sheltered. The children play in the same alleyways and along the same streets, day in and day out. There are unwritten rules they all abide by, with unofficial times to play, stay inside, and go home.
The Shanghai that we visited reminded me much of Chicago. Looking at the huge shopping malls, Starbucks, and Oriental Pearl TV Tower did not make me think of a small and cozy community. It made me think of modernization and individuality. There were no more alleyways and secluded communities, only the high-rise apartment buildings and other contemporary housing.