Cultural Criticism

Grant Baker

Raymond Cunningham. "Following the Banner of the Party and Mao Zedong Thought." Flickr, 20 Jan 2010.

Saboteur by Ha Jin is a story that focuses on governmental corruption and the mistreatment of Chinese civilians, and how a once-great scholar turned to acts of terrorism as a result of the corruption. This cultural aspect was very common during this time as the mistreatment and abuse of power were pushed heavily. The text embodies the perspective of Mr. Chiu, a communist party member and highly educated scholar. He is mistreated after being harassed by policemen, and then falsely arrested. His views contrast those of the police, therefore prompting him to commit acts of terrorism. This cultural aspect represents the abuse of power and the culture that was being built by Communism.

One of the core aspects of Communism is the equality of everyone, and this story emphasizes the truth that China did not follow the core beliefs of Marxism. The main character is a supporter of a recently deceased chairman Mao Zedong, who calls out the hypocrites of communism throughout the story. This is highlighted when he is talking to the policemen and says I didn't do anything. Your men are the saboteurs of our social order. Mr. Chiu calls out the continuously unfair culture in China and how corruption is a main contributor to the Chinese government. This specifically had an impact on the culture of China as many citizens lived in fear of the police and government during this time.

Mr. Chiu is held at the police station and mistreated despite his innocence. He builds such a strong hatred for the country's current state that commits an act of terrorism on the common people of China. He purposely spreads his disease, Hepatitis, to over 800 people throughout Muji City. This attack shows his contempt for the corrupt state of China and demonstrates how a scholar who thought extremely highly of himself could turn to terrorism.

Following the Chinese Communist Party, this corruption was very commonplace for policemen and government officials alike. Instances like this story were not uncommon, as the Tiananmen Square of 1989 follows similar themes of the story. During this massacre which lasted from April 15th to June 9th, Peaceful democratic protests occurred in Tiananmen Square. During this time, the Government debated on whether to act on the protests, and eventually on June 4th of 1989 the military opened fire and arrested the protestors in Tiananmen Square. This incident is like Saboteur, as it exposes the corruption of the government and how the mistreatment of common people in China continued after the cultural revolution.

Raymond Cunningham. "Paper Cut." Flickr, 9 July 2009.

References

News, BBC. “Tiananmen Square: What Happened in the Protests of 1989?” BBC News, BBC, 23 Dec. 2021, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-48445934.