Symbolic Use of the Notion of Sickness and Healing
Dynasties surrounding his son's illness made Shuan prefer healing his cough through the jade green parcel and a red-and-white lantern. After firing up the stove, Hua Dama prepared it and did not want the son close to it before its final preparation. She then took the pitch-black object to the son, who was to eat and get better (Lu, 2009). After that, his parents told him to go and sleep so that he could get up when he is feeling better. Consequently, according to his parents, they had a notion that if they used the black-pitch object, it would make their son feel better, but after eating it, he still pressed his hands on his chest and coughed. Hence, it can be proved that it was not a better solution to healing. In this case, the notion of sickness and healing was presented by a jade green parcel and a red-and-white lantern (traditional cure) that his parent believed could heal him.
As Shuan's son was silent, he used guess work to assume that he had fallen asleep. The rustling sound and succession coughs proved that his son was sick. Therefore, Shuan decided to check on other things outside the house, where he found the cool breeze. As he was walking, he met a man that wanted his money in exchange for silver. Shuan offered the money to the guy and decided to go back home. As he was going home, he met people who asked him where he was taking the product or who was ill. Thus, he did not answer any of the questions but believed that he would enjoy its blessings when he placed the elixir inside his son (Lu, 2009). Furthermore, this shows what Shuan had thought to bring gifts as he was using the son's sickness to get the blessings from the product he bought, as it signifies the notion Shuan had on what his son's illness will be of benefit through his healing process. Comment by Xiaojue Wang: ? More clarifiations needed.
The son's cough characterized the spiritual illness, and through a miracle cure, Mr. Kang believed that Shuan's son would get better. After visiting the teahouse, Mr. Kang shouted that if the drug he provided were taken hot, it would give the son positive results on his cough, “He’ll be better you know it...eat it hot.” Thus, this shows what relationship the body and the state have as the son was expected to heal from the miracle cure. As the discussion proceeded in the teahouse, Shuan's son left the room, and the cough had not to stop, and he was feeling hungry (Lu, 2009). Hence, it shows that the miracle cure was not the guaranteed healing aspect of the cough. The notions of sickness and healing show how a miracle cure is not assured and can make someone feel better.
According to a young man in his twenties, he assumed that it was unbelievable for Shuan, his wife, and Mr. Kang to believe that the miracle cure will make their son feel better. Thus, the things that the son was going through made him cough desperately, and it became a concern to the teahouse when the noise increased because of the fears of the son's health. The individuals in the hotel were trying to remove the notion that Shuan's son will get better without the appropriate medication (Lu, 2009). Consequently, it could help eliminate the world's concepts on how the sick can heal with the miracle cure as the creator helps those who help themselves first. Comment by Xiaojue Wang: What is the medicine then, in literal and symbolic terms?
The Grave-Sweeping Festival was used as a symbol to show healing. After his son's death, Hua Dama went to his son's grave to perform the ritual that she believed would make her recover from the loss. While at the tomb, she meets another woman, whose son's grave was across Shuan's son (Lu, 2009). Hua Dama thinks she is also there to mourn her son and prefers to join her. While at the gravesite, they notice bluish-white flowers scattered around the graves and are concerned about what was happening. In some sense, the deceased used them to show what they had been going through when they were still sick. In the end, it symbolized the notion that their parents had as they were about to heal.
The punishment was a form of healing, and the tradition dysfunction symbolized the healing the dead could have. According to Yu'er's mother, the bluish-white flower was a sign from him that he was still suffering, and since they murdered him, their punishment was going to be hell, and Heaven will revenge (Lu, 2009). Thus, this shows that the boys didn't have to lose their lives as their parents were sorry for what had happened. The symbol of notions on sickness and healing is evident through Yu'er's mother, who believes those who murdered his son will suffer and be sorry for what they did. In the end, the beliefs show what the public expect to happen to the wrongdoers. Comment by Xiaojue Wang: Interesting point.
10 out of 15
Brittany, I appreciated your sophisticated close reading of the story and your exploration of symbolic meanings of medicine and healing. However, in an academic paper, you will need to have a central thesis related to the prompt. In this story, illness means Hua’s TB in literal terms, and the superstitious and ignorant state of the Chinese society at the time; medicine refers to Xia’s blood in physical terms, and his revolutionary ideas to change the society in symbolic terms. For your revision, please review the story, and also, the critical reading I assigned for that week by Leo Lee. In this way, you will be able to both reconsider the meanings in the story and the way to how to follow the format of Lee’s article to make a main argument, to illustrate it, to get to your conclusion. Hope this helps.
References
Lu, X. (2009). The real story of Ah-Q and other tales of China: The complete fiction of Lu Xun. Penguin UK.
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