“Saboteur”

1. “Saboteur” Lyric Boyd November 1, 2013 5th

2. Author and Background • The author of “Saboteur” is Ha Jin. • In 1949, the communists established the People’s Republic of China under their military hero Mao Zedong. During Mao’s Cultural Revolution, may political figures were removed from power, imprisoned, and sometimes executed.

3. Theme • You should treat others how you want to be treated because revenge will be horrible.

4. Plot • Mr. Chiu and his bride were having lunch. A policeman throws tea and Mr. Chiu and his bride’s feet gets wet. He asked the policeman why did he do it and then he is arrested. Mr. Chiu is thrown in jail for no reason. He has really bad hepatitis. In jail, they try to get him to sign papers on something he really didn’t do. Mr. Chiu refuses and then signs. While in jail, his hepatitis gets bad. When he got out, Mr. Chiu and his lawyer went to soup shops and he ate from at least two bowls at each shop. In Muji over eight hundred people contacted hepatitis, but only six died of the disease. Nobody knows how it started.

5. Characters and Descriptions • Mr. Chiu- 34, a lecturer, communist party member, Chinese man, and has hepatitis. • Mr. Chiu’s bride- pale woman with wired glasses. She sent Fenjin to get Mr. Chiu. • Chief of Bureau- a thin and bald man. • Fenjin- One of Mr. Chiu’s students. He was sent to get Mr. Chiu out of jail. • Policeman 1: He is the one who arrests Mr. Chiu.

6. Conflict • The conflict is between Mr. Chiu and the policeman. He was being rude to Mr. Chui when he threw a bowl of tea at Mr. Chui and his wife. Mr. Chui said something to him and then he was arrested. He encountered cruel and unusual punishment in jail. They wouldn’t give him his medications. His hepatitis got worse.

7. Resolution • Mr. Chiu signs a paper that says he committed a crime, but he didn’t do anything wrong. He is then released from jail. He wanted revenge, so he went to shops and ordered two bowls of food at each. Within a month over 800 people had gotten hepatitis and 6 died of the disease.

8. Memorable Line • “Why violate the law you are supposed to enforce?” • I liked this line because police are supposed to prevent chaos and not create it.

9. 3 Questions • Why do you think the policeman picked Mr. Chiu to pick on? • Why do you think Mr. Chiu chose to get revenge the way that he did? • Do you think Mr. Chiu was wrong for spreading the hepatitis?

10. Interesting information • China still remains a communist nation. • Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver and it is highly contagious.