Warning: Use of undefined constant referer - assumed 'referer' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /usr/home/essaywo/public_html/essays on line 102

Warning: Use of undefined constant host - assumed 'host' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /usr/home/essaywo/public_html/essays on line 105

Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /usr/home/essaywo/public_html/essays:102) in /usr/home/essaywo/public_html/essays on line 106

Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /usr/home/essaywo/public_html/essays:102) in /usr/home/essaywo/public_html/essays on line 109
Rickshaw by Lao She: An Analysis - Research Paper

Rickshaw by Lao She: An Analysis

Rickshaw

The purpose of this paper is to introduce, discuss, and analyze the novel "Rickshaw" by Lao She, translated by Jean M. James. Specifically, it will focus on the function of the rickshaw as a symbol in the text. Author Lao She uses the rickshaw in the text as a symbol of freedom and hope, or so it seems at first. Those who own their own rickshaws are expected to be successful and thriving rickshaw men, but Hsiang Tzu illustrates the opposite, he never quite reaches his potential, and his rickshaw does not set him free, it tethers him to the poverty of Peking. Ultimately, the rickshaw is a symbol of what is wrong with Chinese society, and how it allows good men such as Hsiang ...

Want to read the rest of this paper?
Join Essayworld today to view this entire essay
and over 50,000 other term papers

to drivers. Therefore, the rickshaw itself is a symbol of freedom and hope. Owning a rickshaw transforms many drivers from poverty to success, but this does not happen in Hsiang Tzu's case, he cannot rise above the poverty and hopelessness surrounding him, no matter his status in the rickshaw community. In fact, the author writes, "But hopes for the most part come to nothing and Hsiang Tzu's were no exception" (Lao 10). Thus, the Tzu's rickshaw is his salvation and his curse at the same time.
Rickshaws appear throughout the story, in fact, they could be considered another character in the story because they are so important to the rickshaw drivers' lives. To the drivers, the rickshaws are their lives (Lao 12), and so, they take on special significance as the story continues. When Tzu loses his rickshaw, his life takes another turn, for the rickshaw is his livelihood as well as his hope for the future, and he must start all over again on his quest for success. The ...

Get instant access to over 50,000 essays.
Write better papers. Get better grades.

Already a member? Login

CITE THIS PAGE:

APA
MLA
Chicago
Turabian

Rickshaw by Lao She: An Analysis. (2016, June 24). Retrieved April 19, 2024, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Rickshaw-by-Lao-She-An-Analysis/105721

"Rickshaw by Lao She: An Analysis." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 24 Jun. 2016. Web. 19 Apr. 2024. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Rickshaw-by-Lao-She-An-Analysis/105721>

"Rickshaw by Lao She: An Analysis." Essayworld.com. June 24, 2016. Accessed April 19, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Rickshaw-by-Lao-She-An-Analysis/105721.

JOIN NOW

Join today and get instant access to this and 50,000+ other essays

PAPER DETAILS

Added: 6/24/2016 04:39:37 AM
Category: Book Reports
Type: Premium Paper
Words: 1103
Pages: 5

Save |

Report

SHARE THIS PAPER

SAVED ESSAYS

Save and find your favorite essays easier