Focusing on the oppressive nature of post Mao-China, a communist society filled with a hierarchy of corruption, and ultimately in an antithetical fashion to Upton Sinclair's novel The Jungle, Ha Jin uses his literary work to convey a central political statement against the injustice of Chinese socialism. Jin stresses the themes of standing up for one's self and not letting the powerful and corrupt destroy one's dreams. The book also contains universal and humanitarian theme of lending a helping hand to aid one's fellow man.
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