The friend in Shanghai

I am reading the collection of short stories “the friend in Shanghai” by Pamela Tan. Pamela Tan composed the very Chinese stories in a smooth flow of English. Some of these stories revealed how people are desperate to build up a career or to get out of the country. I seemed that the Cultural Revolution had put many people into race for survival thus their moral values are skewed towards self-centeredness.

The story “the friend in Shanghai” tells a bout a man who is trying to knot a tie with a lady residing in Australia and now visiting him. His one and only intention is to get out of the country. He apply many methods including telling her straight that he wants to marry her so that he can visit Australia, to even persuading the lady with his youthful look and sex appeal.

“The Career” is the about a couple trying very hard to get into a university in the US. They are so desperate that they even could delay the parents’ wish of having a child. The husband runs into a situation which could possibly deter his dream. The desperation pushed him to take the risk – to kill the lady he is living together with. The character never appeared to be daring enough to take the life of a person. Desperation has pushed a person beyond his limit.

“The long and short of it” explains the different interests among the public, the local and central governments. This story appears to be a simple story of how a tall lady and a short man get into relationship on the surface. Yet, if we really read through the lines, it says all about the hide-and-seek game between the business owners and the government officials. It also partly uncover about a slow-moving career man’s nudge on a younger and more intelligent head of inspection group.

I can’t help thinking about the power of a revolutionary leader that can make or break a country.