Saboteur
ENC 1102
Essay on the short story "Saboteur" by Han Jin.
1369 words.
Saboteur, written by Ha Jin exposes a difficult period of China: the Cultural Revolution and its consequences on people 's life. Through the author 's skillful use of setting, symbolism and the main character 's dynamism, the reader is able to understand the theme of the story that is revenge.
The setting of a story has a ponderous influence on the reader 's perception as it often justifies a character 's behavior. In Saboteur, the story takes place in communist China as witnessed by the concrete statue of Chairman Mao in the middle of the square. During this period, the communist leader Mao Zedong was ruling with authority and transforming the society based on a Marxist model. The author states that "the Cultural Revolution was over already and recently the party had been propagating the idea that all citizens are equal"(26). The statue is located in the middle of a square before Muji train station. Muji seems to be a middle sized province town. The place is very busy as suggested by the "food and fruit vendors crying for customers in lazy voices" (3). The place "smells of rotten melon and a few flies kept buzzing above the couple 's lunch"(3) foreshadowing a unpleasant event. The season in which the plot takes place is summer since Mr. Chiu and his bride are both wearing sandals. Additionally later during the story Mr. Chiu is offered to sign his self criticism carrying a date that is July the 13th.
Through the description of the characters the reader understands better the conflict between the protagonist Mr. Chiu and the political system represented by the policemen. Mr. Chiu, with a "thin jaw" (4) and worried by a bad liver and acute hepatitis appears to be weak. His wife whose cheeks are pale wears "glasses"(4), which could be perceived as a sign of fragility. They live a comfortable life as indicated by the fact that they own a color TV, something that
Essay on the short story "Saboteur" by Han Jin.
1369 words.
Saboteur, written by Ha Jin exposes a difficult period of China: the Cultural Revolution and its consequences on people 's life. Through the author 's skillful use of setting, symbolism and the main character 's dynamism, the reader is able to understand the theme of the story that is revenge.
The setting of a story has a ponderous influence on the reader 's perception as it often justifies a character 's behavior. In Saboteur, the story takes place in communist China as witnessed by the concrete statue of Chairman Mao in the middle of the square. During this period, the communist leader Mao Zedong was ruling with authority and transforming the society based on a Marxist model. The author states that "the Cultural Revolution was over already and recently the party had been propagating the idea that all citizens are equal"(26). The statue is located in the middle of a square before Muji train station. Muji seems to be a middle sized province town. The place is very busy as suggested by the "food and fruit vendors crying for customers in lazy voices" (3). The place "smells of rotten melon and a few flies kept buzzing above the couple 's lunch"(3) foreshadowing a unpleasant event. The season in which the plot takes place is summer since Mr. Chiu and his bride are both wearing sandals. Additionally later during the story Mr. Chiu is offered to sign his self criticism carrying a date that is July the 13th.
Through the description of the characters the reader understands better the conflict between the protagonist Mr. Chiu and the political system represented by the policemen. Mr. Chiu, with a "thin jaw" (4) and worried by a bad liver and acute hepatitis appears to be weak. His wife whose cheeks are pale wears "glasses"(4), which could be perceived as a sign of fragility. They live a comfortable life as indicated by the fact that they own a color TV, something that
Cited: "Sabotage." Oxford Dictionary Thesaurus and Wordpower Guide. 2003. J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. 4th compact ed. New York: Longman, 2005. 174-181