Family In Alice Huu's To Live By Fugui

According to Merriam-Webster, family can be defined as “the basic unit in society consisting of two parents rearing children”(Family). But in reality, family often transcends that definition. Families are people who have strong emotional connections with each other. To Live is a story about a man who experiences many misfortunes. Fugui’s family is a big part of his life and once they are all gone he has no choice but to live on without them. Throughout the story, Fugui realizes how important his family is to him. Hua uses varying tone and imagery is used to illustrate the devastation one feels when the relationships they've built up come crashing down.
Using imagery and tone, Hua illustrates how much Fugui lost when his wife died. First, Fugui's future

The image of a man helping his loved one illustrates how dedicated Fugui is to his wife. This is a sharp contrast of Fugui earlier in the story and it explains how much Fugui has come to respect and love Jiazhen. Their relationship is much more fruitful and peaceful than it was before. Later on in the story, Jiazhen fell when she and Fugui were watching over the iron cauldron. Fugui then sprinted over to make sure she was alright. Fugui thinks, “Seeing that Jiazhen wasn't hurt, my anxious heart relaxed a bit”(115). Through the words “anxious heart” Hua establishes a concerned tone that’s easy to comprehend. When a person suffers from anxiety or feels anxious, it is possible to feel a tightening in the chest, a rapid heart rate, racing thoughts, or a feeling panic. By understanding these possible symptoms of anxiety, one can easily comprehend how Fugui is feeling. Fugui obviously felt very worried about his wife. He could've been thinking that the worst had happened or he could be feeling panicked. The feeling of anxiety illustrates that Fugui has a strong relationship with his wife. He would do anything for her and he loves her unconditionally. Furthermore, Jiazhen was