The Tank Man Photograph (Visual Imagery)
The Tank Man photograph is an iconic image depicting an anonymous protestor standing before a line of tanks. In the photo, the Tank Man wears everyday clothing and holds two shopping bags, his slight figure and ordinary appearance contrasting starkly with the imposing military vehicles. In stagings of Chimerica this photograph is visually projected onto the stage, and characters describe and discuss it at length. The Tank Man photograph is not only the crux of the plot, as Joe tries to uncover the Tank Man's identity, but is used as a meta-commentary, visually reminding the audience of the human cost of political conflicts and the power of ordinary people to influence history.
Ming Xiaoli's Cough (Auditory Imagery)
Before her death, Ming Xiaoli, Zhang Lin's elderly neighbor, succumbs to fits of coughing which upset Zhang Lin and interrupt his thoughts and conversations. Ming Xiaoli's cough is an auditory reminder of the human costs of progress; Zhang Lin attributes her affliction to "Beijing Lung," a respiratory infection from polluted air resulting from rapid economic growth.
Ming Xiaoli's frailness and discomfort are also emotionally distressing, as she devoted her life to the Party, which Zhang Lin feels failed her by refusing to regulate the pollution that took her life.
Liuli's Ghost (Visual Imagery)
Liuli, Zhang Lin's wife who died in the 1989 protests, haunts Zhang Lin's apartment by standing in the refrigerator while wearing a red version of the white dress she died in. The red dress implies that Liuli's violent death stained her clothes with blood, and her presence in the refrigerator references how she and Zhang Lin met. Liuli's eerie presence symbolizes how the events of Tiananmen Square "haunt" Zhang Lin as he struggles with survivor's guilt and disenfranchisement.
Frank's Office (Visual Imagery)
Frank, Joe's editor, works in a "Manhattan corner office" furnished with "a large, impressive desk." Editor of a "major American newspaper," Frank makes money reporting on tragedies and conflicts across the world. The luxurious imagery of his office contrasts with the grim photographs he publishes, which forces the viewer to question the moral hypocrisy of American journalism, which is driven by profit.
