Author’s Background

• Chinese American writer

• Real Name: Xuefei Jin
• Born February 21, 1956
• Writing style: plain,
unadorned English prose
• Writing Inspiration:
– to explore the tension
between
• the individual and the family
• the modern and the
traditional
• personal feelings and duty.
 Author’s Background
• Education Path

Creative Writing
Programme (1994)

Degree in Master Degree in Doctor of Philosophy

English (1981) American Literature in (1992)
(1984)
 Author’s Background
• Notable Works

War Trash (2004)

Nanjing
Waiting (2000) Requiem
(2011)
 Author’s Background
• Awards

PEN/Faulkner National Book

Award for Fiction Awards (2000)
(2000 & 2005)
Synopsis
 Settings

Poor Chinese
Central Hospital community in a
village (17 years
Peace Avenue Thursday afternoon ago)
Nimei’s house Autumn Working class
Snake Mouth Lake Five thirty in the Chinese community
School playground evening Government high
rank officials and
low rank army
community
Literary Elements
Two large pots of wild rose

•Powerful symbol of love and

adoration.
•The rose is a symbolic carrier of
secrets hence reflected Nimei’s reason
for buying the rose was to welcome
her old flame
A new brick floor on the yard

• Brick houses in China are usually

reserved for royalty, nobles and
rich merchants, reflecting the
symbol of wealth and high status
of the house owner
• Nimei decided to put brick on her
yard just to show Hsu Peng that
she is happily married and have a
good life even without marrying
him
Two packets of Great
Production cigarettes
• In 1983, China's State Council
issued the Tobacco Monopoly
Regulations to formally establish a
national tobacco monopoly
system. That explains the satirical
meaning of ‘Great Production’
brand
• Tobacco is also a common gift in
China as a sign of friendship and
one of the well-liked gift for both
smokers and non-smokers.
A parcel of four large fresh river fish and
a tin of cooking oil
•Hsu Peng’s intention behind the gift
is to mock Nimei and to show how rich
and powerful he is now compared to
her family.
•In addition, the cooking oil
symbolized his pity towards Nimei
whom asking his help to have a better
life.
•River fish is really expensive in her
city and cooking oil is one of the
essential cooking ingredient in
Chinese
 Conflicts
Man vs. Self
• Nimei’s reluctance to marry Jiang Bing because she was in relationship
with Hsu Peng

Man vs. Man

• Nimei and her mother – blame her for forcing her to marry Jiang Bing
• Nimei and Hsu Peng – their relationship doesn’t end well, causing the
revenge incident 17 years later

Man vs. Fate

• Due to the bad weather in Nimei’s village, she was forced to marry
Jiang Bing to keep her family from poverty and starvation.
 Moral Lessons Eventhough Nimei
does not love her
husband, she still have
Nimei never pleased to accept him because
with her husband she felt indebted to
eventhough her Be grateful for
you have him
husband treat her
like a queen.

One can pay back

the loan of gold,
but one dies
forever in debt to
those who are
Be filial to kind
Nimei sacrificed her
your parents
love in order to fulfil
her mother’s desire
Themes
Themes
The importance of being grateful in life

The power of Jiang Bing’s love towards Nimei

Flame of revenge between Hsu Peng and

Nimei