I am sure that at some point or another we all have gotten in trouble for doing something foolish or feeble minded, and that feeling of getting caught is repulsive. There are worse things in life than getting grounded, or being forced to hear a lecture, or even getting a beating for being bad. Two of these things include, getting set up, and being framed; these things aren’t that bad when you think about them, but when you are forced to take the blame, that is when you want to kill someone.
Author Ha Jin discuses a similar topic in his short story “Saboteur.” In this story, we meet a newlywed couple, who have just finished their honeymoon. While waiting to catch their train back home, a bowl of tea is flung upon their feet by a police officer. When the husband, Mr. Chiu, tries to confront the cop, he is assaulted and arrested for disturbing the peace. As he is being carried away reluctantly, he instructs his bride to send someone to get him if he has not returned within a couple of days. At the police station, Mr. Chiu is given the opportunity to be released by confessing to his crime, even though he is innocent. Instead of conforming with the police, he commands to receive an apology. He also requests medication to help control his liver condition. He obtains neither an apology, nor his medication. As Mr. Chiu awakens one morning, he notices someone chained up outside in the hot sun. He then realizes it is a student of his, who must have been sent by his wife. Mr. Chiu agrees to sign the document stating he was at fault in order to get out of jail and save his students life. After being released, Mr. Chiu along with his student, are furious. He dines at a number of restaurants before returning home. It is later discovered that w...
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...tory Mr. Chiu would be considered a round character because of his growth and change in this story. At the beginning of the story the title “Saboteur” is not all that clear, but at the end of the story, after analyzing it, one can see that Mr. Chiu is the saboteur. Not for his actions at the start of the story, but for seeking revenge on the police men at the end. That is why I decided to further analyze the themes, and ironic situations in this short story; along with their direct and indirect correlation.
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The theme of the short story is revenge. Ha Jin suggests in his work that even the most reasoned individual, as a university teacher could be, can reach his personal limits and commit a crime if his personal freedom is taken.
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