Book read: Waiting by Ha Jin
prompt 1:
Chapter 12 -- Is That a Symbol?
Food is a tool for communicating certain themes to readers in the novel Waiting. The first instance of food acting as a symbol is seen in the first five pages of the novel, where different types of food sold in Goose Village, a rural Chinese town, is described. The humble, traditional types of food represent the Old China, whereas later on in the story, Lin Kong's knowledge of how to eat shrimp, an exotic food in inland rural China, marks his knowledge of customs of the New China he learns of in the city. Food continues to play a major role in relaying the differences between the New and Old throughout the story. For example, the food Shuyu cooks for Lin symbolizes the familiarity and security he feels at home, though it is not as exciting as the food he samples in the city. This mirrors the security he feels with his wife Shuyu back home and the excitement he feels with Manna Wu in the city.
prompt 2:
Chapter 13 -- It’s All Political
Though in his novel Ha Jin mainly explores themes such as love, family, and trust, he additionally offers subtle criticism of the communist ideas prevalent during China's Cultural Revolution. The characters in the book find themselves constrained in a rigid lifestyle where rules and social relations define them, rendering their lives ruined if they do so much as break a petty rule or find themselves the object of gossip. For example, a man is described to have been thrown in prison for harboring a certain piece of literature, when a few weeks ago he had been enjoying his life as a respected commissioner in the army. Likewise, Lin Kong, the protagonist, is revoked of his title as a model officer simply because he develops a relationship with a woman in the same hospital he serves in. These kinds of situations mirror the hardships the Chinese experienced during the Cultural Revolution, where a man could falsely report his neighbor and successfully land him in deep trouble, or find himself under an administration enforcing outrageous beliefs such as Anti-intellectualism.
prompt 3:
Chapter 14 -- Yes, She’s a Christ Figure, Too
Shuyu is arguably the single likable character in this novel. Not only do readers sympathize with her, as she is unfairly treated by her husband Lin Kong, but she continues to show compassion and loyalty towards him despite her unfortunate situation. Lin Kong repeatedly attempts to divorce Shuyu, his sole reason being that he does not find her attractive or presentable due to her bound feet. Yet Shuyu never ceases to love him and treats him with great respect and admiration, showing vast amounts of forgiveness. She is not only very forgiving, she is in a way crucified, seen by her bound feet which prevent her from doing things beside simple domestic tasks, is good with children as she singlehandedly raises her daughter in Lin Kong's absence, and is perhaps living in a parable designed to teach the moral that kindness is in the end repaid with kindness, as Lin Kong eventually comes back to her at the end of the book.
prompt 4:
Chapter 21 -- Marked for Greatness
Shuyu's physical imperfection is her bound feet. Although it is considered as a desirable asset by the society in which she group up in, namely "the Old China", the increasingly uncommon characteristic places her at odds with "the New China" which consists of individuals such as her husband Lin Kong, who looks down upon her bound feet. Shuyu's bound feet help characterize her as a dependent, confined, trapped individual who must deal with harsh marital and societal conditions. In the increasingly progressive Chinese society during the country's Cultural Revolution, her feet are looked down upon as a vestige of an old practice that is thought to be best done away with. In this way, Lin Kong strives to leave Shuyu, who represents the Old China and its antiquated ideas, behind, for a life in the city and a relationship with an educated woman who represents the New China.
Book read: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
prompt 5:
Chapter 1 -- Every Trip Is a Quest (Except When It’s Not)
Lizzy embarks on a quest when she walks three miles to Netherfield, where her sickly sister Jane is staying for the night. Lizzy, the protagonist, and in this case the "quester", is a lively and intelligent young woman who cares deeply for her sister, Jane. Her reason for going to Netherfield, Mr. Bingley's mansion, is to take care of her sister, who has come down with a fever. The three-mile walk is harsh, and Lizzy is looked down upon by the Bingley sisters who scoff at her soiled clothing. The real outcome of this journey, besides being able to tend to her sister, is that Lizzy forms a stronger opinion of Mr. Darcy, who is also staying at Netherfield. After the visit, Lizzy increasingly sees him as a proud man, due to his remarks about there being so few women he considers fully "accomplished" around him.
prompt 6:
Chapter 25 -- Don’t Read with Your Eyes
Charlotte's decision to marry the conceited and rather annoying Mr. Collins may seem questionable to many modern, readers, since Charlotte herself implies that she has no romantic feelings for him. Yet if readers take a closer look at the social situations in which the story takes place, they would better understand and respect Charlotte's choice of making such a decision. Modern readers, who are all too used to the idea that marriage should ideally be based on love and not on financial, social, or any other conditions, may find it hard to comprehend that women in early 19th century England had little freedom in choosing who they would be marrying. Factors besides love were regarded with much more importance when choosing partners. Once readers are aware of this fact, it would be more understandable that Charlotte, a poor, plain young woman, would agree to marry Mr. Collins, who had found himself the heir of a large estate.
prompt 7:
Chapter 26 -- Is He Serious? And Other Ironies
An excellent case of situational irony is created by Jane Austen in Pride and Prejudice. Near the end of the book, Lady Catherine, Mr. Darcy's aunt, pays a visit to the Bennet household to dissuade Lizzy from agreeing to marry Mr. Darcy. Lady Catherine's wish to keep the two apart eventually counteracts, however. Lizzy had been doubtful whether Mr. Darcy cared enough for her, but Lady Catherine's concern and desperation gives her hope that he could be in fact fond of her, enough to consider proposing to her. Likewise, Mr Darcy is now evermore encouraged to propose to Lizzy, as he learns that she refused to take heed of Lady Catherine's advice to stay away from him. The fact that Lady Catherine's efforts to keep Lizzy and Mr. Darcy apart are actually what eventually lead them together, is very ironic.