Saboteur (short story)

"Saboteur" (2000) is a short story by the Chinese author Ha Jin.

Plot

The story opens with Mr. Chiu eating lunch with his bride in the square near Muji Train Station. His two-week honeymoon is coming to an end. Mr. Chiu is concerned about his acute hepatitis that he had suffered from three months earlier and is afraid of a relapse. A policeman throws tea in their direction while they eat. Their feet get wet and an altercation begins and Mr. Chiu is unjustly arrested. He asks his wife to catch their train and have someone get him if he does not return by tomorrow. The story takes place after the Cultural Revolution and the Communist Party was coming to the idea that all citizens were equal. He lived in Harbin which is located in Northern China, but for his honeymoon he chose Muji City more than three hundred miles away. He was arrested for sabotage but the police show some prejudices against him for being a Communist Party member. Mr. Chiu refuses to acknowledge guilt and proclaims his innocence. While in jail, he asks a guard to provide him with medical attention for fear that his hepatitis has flared up again. He warns them that they will be responsible if anything were to happen to him. The guard does not heed his warnings or his concerns. Mr. Chiu is terrified of the bugs, but is amazed to find that he doesn't miss his wife a lot. He made up his mind that when he got out he would write about his experience and expose the police force. He remained in jail throughout the weekend. Monday morning, Mr. Chiu spots Fenjin tied in the courtyard of the jail. Mr. Chiu realizes that Fenjin was the rescuer sent by his bride and because he had called the chief a bad name was subjected to a punishment. In return for the release of Fenjin and himself, Mr. Chiu signed a statement acknowledging his "crime" and promises to never do it again. When the two men were released, Mr. Chiu and Fenjin eat at several restaurants near the police station , eating no more than two bowls at any of them. Mr. Chiu keeps wishing he could kill all of his punishers. "Within a month, over 800 people contracted acute hepatitis."(10) Six died, including two children.

Characters

Chiu Maguang

Mr. Chiu, as he is referred to, is a thirty-four-year-old Chinese male visiting Muji City, China for his honeymoon. He lives and works in Harbin, China. He is a lecturer at Harbin University and is a Communist Party member.

Mr. Chiu's Bride

Described to be pale with wire glasses. A recent college graduate of the fine arts. Recently married to Mr. Chiu and just back from their honeymoon. Has never seen an arrest before and so stands terrified. She sends Fenjin, a lawyer, to help Mr. Chiu out of jail.

Chief of Bureau

Described as a "thin, bald man, who looked serene and intelligent".^[1] The Chief is prejudicial against Communist Party members. He unjustly imprisons Mr. Chiu and Fenjin. He cares little that his "punishments" become public because he is confident that when he denies such claims that the public opinion will turn in his favor.

Fenjin

A recent graduate from the Harbin University's Law Department. Two years ago, Fenjin had enrolled in Mr. Chiu's course about Marxist materialism. He had come to the jail at the request of Mr. Chiu's bride to help Mr. Chiu out of jail. He had called the Chief a "bandit" and was punished for it by being tied to a pine at the jail.

References

Jin, Ha. "Saboteur." An Introduction to Fiction. 'Comp'. X. J. Kennedy & Dana Gioia. New York: Pearson Longman, 2007. Print.

Jin, Ha. "Saboteur". The Antioch Review, Vol. 59, No. 2, Anniversary Issue: Sowing Words for Sixty Years (Spring, 2001), pp. 271–280