Saboteur
September, 9, 2012
“Saboteur” (2000) by Ha Jin (1956--)
1. Have you ever had an injustice done to you? How did you feel? Did you retaliate?
Yes I have had injustice done to me, I was very upset because it was my word against and older man and the cops automatically believed him even though he was lying. So then I retaliated and bought him to court and won my case. 2. Do you believe Mr. Chiu’s revenge is justified? Are the effects of his revenge proportionate to his own suffering?
In my opinion he went a little over board because innocent people were hurt and even killed. He suffered two days and that doesn’t equal the life of anyone. He should have done the legitimate process through the legal system. 3. This bitter political story depicts how an unjust system gradually corrupts its innocent victims. Ha Jin was influenced by poet W. H. Auden belief: “Those to whom evil is done / Do evil in return.” Explain. Consider why Mr. Chiu is arrested. Consider the public torture of his lawyer. What would be a Christian response to these acts? A Buddhist response?
This belief is saying that if you should get revenge, only do it directly to the person who did harm to you. The Christian response would most likely involve god taking part in your enemy’s downfall at some point in their life. The Buddhist response would be not to react at all and let karma take care of the revenge for you. 4. Ha Jin’s story reminds us of how pervasively irony is used in political fiction, especially works written of Communist societies. Show where the story contains irony upon bitter irony.
It is pure irony at the end of the story, Mr. Chiu wasn’t taken care of so his sickness is spreading and because of his arrest he doesn’t want to sit still and eat in one place so he goes around spreading his sickness because of the policeman’s lack of care for his health. 5. Why do you think Ha Jin used the context of Mr. Chiu’s honeymoon for this story? What does it
“Saboteur” (2000) by Ha Jin (1956--)
1. Have you ever had an injustice done to you? How did you feel? Did you retaliate?
Yes I have had injustice done to me, I was very upset because it was my word against and older man and the cops automatically believed him even though he was lying. So then I retaliated and bought him to court and won my case. 2. Do you believe Mr. Chiu’s revenge is justified? Are the effects of his revenge proportionate to his own suffering?
In my opinion he went a little over board because innocent people were hurt and even killed. He suffered two days and that doesn’t equal the life of anyone. He should have done the legitimate process through the legal system. 3. This bitter political story depicts how an unjust system gradually corrupts its innocent victims. Ha Jin was influenced by poet W. H. Auden belief: “Those to whom evil is done / Do evil in return.” Explain. Consider why Mr. Chiu is arrested. Consider the public torture of his lawyer. What would be a Christian response to these acts? A Buddhist response?
This belief is saying that if you should get revenge, only do it directly to the person who did harm to you. The Christian response would most likely involve god taking part in your enemy’s downfall at some point in their life. The Buddhist response would be not to react at all and let karma take care of the revenge for you. 4. Ha Jin’s story reminds us of how pervasively irony is used in political fiction, especially works written of Communist societies. Show where the story contains irony upon bitter irony.
It is pure irony at the end of the story, Mr. Chiu wasn’t taken care of so his sickness is spreading and because of his arrest he doesn’t want to sit still and eat in one place so he goes around spreading his sickness because of the policeman’s lack of care for his health. 5. Why do you think Ha Jin used the context of Mr. Chiu’s honeymoon for this story? What does it