Identity In Ha Jin's 'Saboteur'

Are you who you are because of individuality, or because of someone else? Truth is, the answer can be either one. The Marrian Webster Dictionary goes on to define identity as “who someone is”, but there is much more to it. Identity works in many ways. For my definition of identity, I believe that identity is how you present yourself to society. For some people their identity is molded by society. People fear being different and being looked down upon, so they present themselves as a person who is socially acceptable. Other people do not worry about society’s opinion and present themselves as what their characteristics show them to be. Sinha Gunjan from Psychology Today states that, “DNA and life experience conspire to mold our personalities”. That

Chiu, who is a man on a very high horse. He is a man that is notably higher up in the social class of communist China. He is an educated man working for Harbin University. If Mr. Chiu feels his superiority is being disrespected, he will lash out. Throughout “Saboteur” Mr. Chiu constantly feels that he is the better man. Regardless of him being imprisoned, he continues to act snobbish and arrogant. Proving that unlike most people who would try to at least act in a different manor to gain the respect of the police officers, Mr. Chiu would rather show his true identity. At one point in the story, as he is talking to the police chief he even says “Don’t mistake me for a common citizen who would tremble when you sneeze”. At the end of the story, when Mr. Chiu is released from imprisonment, he is given the opportunity to just forget about it and walk away. However, Mr. Chiu is no such man who will forget the wrongs done to him. So he purposefully spreads his hepatitis to multiple cafes around the police station. I credit his actions to the type of man he is. Feeling so wronged, and disrespected, his egotistic mind couldn’t let such an injustice go