Saboteur by Ha Jin

Tensen

Payback

The story “Saboteur” by Ha Jin focuses on Mr. Chiu who from the beginning seems to be a happy newly married man. The narrator says “He was glad that the honeymoon was finally over and that he and his bride were heading back for Harbin” (21). However he and his bride were about to get an experience neither of them had been through before. They were both exhausted and hungry, and sharing a meal together while waiting for a train when they became victims of misuse of power. The evolvement of a caring husband, angry outspoken citizen, dedicated teacher and ultimately a saboteur, are exposed through the occurrence of certain circumstances.

A caring person will show concern for others; especially their loved ones and Mr. Chiu did just that as regards his bride who was having a headache while they were having lunch, and waiting to board a train home from their honey moon. He immediately showed concern for her situation by asking “Are you all right, sweetheart?” (30). He then offered her some medicine when he said “Take an aspirin, will you?” (32). A gesture such as this may seem small, but could go a long way by portraying him as a caring and thoughtful person in the eyes of his bride. Will this view last in her mind forever or will she have second thoughts after witnessing other situations involving Mr. Chiu? It does not take long for him to show how much of an outspoken citizen he is, by immediately condemning the actions of two policemen who falsely accused and arrested him for a crime he supposedly committed. Exercising our rights sometimes could come with a price which may not always be satisfactory or welcomed.

Loosing ones freedom, especially on the grounds of false accusations can instantly transform a person’s life. Mr. Chiu, a dedicated teacher kept on thinking of the class he had to teach and how much he was loosing by being locked up. The narrator said “To tell the truth, he was more upset than frightened, because he would have to catch up with his work once he was back home …. a paper that was due at the printers next week, and two dozen books he ought to read for the courses he was going to teach in the fall” (168). Anger expelled from within Mr. Chiu who was taken to jail over an incident he knew he was innocent of, but was being portrayed otherwise. This caused him to begin feeling sick and realizing the relapse of hepatitis which he had been suffering from previously. No medicine was rendered to help him. Without a doubt little attention is focused on incarcerated sick people as they are considered bad to society, but ultimately they should be treated equally as a free person will be treated. Would a situation like this aggravate ones emotions? Obviously, for he even extended his anger at someone he cared about, his bride, by angrily questioning her decision to send Fenjin to come to his aid.

Repercussions are always imminent