Summary
Act Four opens on Peter Rourke, whose software was used by Zhang Lin to anonymously publish criticism of the Party. Peter talks to his lawyer, Judy, who is recovering from a heart attack, and agrees to comply with Chinese law by releasing Zhang Lin's IP address to the authorities, knowing Zhang Lin will be arrested.
In the interrogation room, Zhang Lin procrastinates signing a confession. The guard interrogating him repeats that the "smog" is actually "fog" and tries to get Zhang Lin to admit that the Party's air quality index is accurate; Zhang Lin even offers to write a retraction of the article. Luili's ghost enters the room, and Zhang Lin, pushed to his breaking point, states that according to a scientific study, he read, "the happiest people are the ones who are best at lying to themselves." He then accuses the guard of being "a happy man."
Joe and Tess drunkenly watch the 2012 presidential election in Joe's apartment. As the final counts are called, Tess attempts to practice a work presentation, though, intoxicated and nervous, cannot remember it. David Barker visits the apartment to shame Joe for blackmailing Senator Dubiecki and accuses him of having no impact on the world. After David leaves, Barack Obama's election is announced, and Tess and Joe discuss the nature of heroism. They kiss and have sex. The next morning, Tess feels rushed out of the apartment and rejected, but Joe invites her to have dinner with Zhang Lin's nephew, Benny, admitting his feelings for her.
Zhang Lin suffers torture at the hands of the police. Later, he recovers in his apartment, cared for by Zhang Wei. When Zhang Wei leaves, Zhang Lin begins to record, flashing back to Tiananmen Square. In the memory, Luili insists on staying at the protest, believing the approaching soldiers, many of them her old classmates, are "just here for show."
In Scene Seven, Tess gives her work presentation, which analyzes the different types of consumers she identified on her shopping trip. She points out that China wants products and services that speak to "the supremacy of its culture" and tastelessly uses the Tank Man photograph to demonstrate the point at which "China exchanged democracy for an economic miracle." After using this image, Tess begins to lose confidence in her presentation. She shames her clients, telling them that turning China into a debt-dependent culture like America is dangerous and irresponsible.
Outside Joe's apartment, David arrives three hours late. Joe exchanges the embarrassing photos of Senator Dubiecki for Jimmy Wang's address before calling Tess to explain that he will be late. Joe then goes to the Glorious City Flower Shop, where he confronts Pengsi, who, fearful for his life, refuses to cooperate. Their altercation escalates to physical violence, and Pengsi finally admits that he donated the memorial for his brother, the "Unknown Hero." However, Joe is shocked to learn that Wang Pengfei was the tank driver, not the Tank Man. Pengsi's brother was executed for refusing to mow down the Tank Man. Pengsi's wife hits Joe with a wrench and calls the police; Joe leaves quickly after giving Pengsi money.
Benny and Tess sit awkwardly at the restaurant, waiting for Joe. However, Joe is released from the police station after Frank posts his bail. Frank fires Joe after Senator Dubiecki refuses to allow Frank's reporters to her press conferences. Frank also scolds Joe for not passing on Mary Chang's resume, as Frank gave her a job and sponsored her green card application. Tess also criticizes Joe for not attending dinner and ruining Wang Pengsi's life.
Zhang Lin and Joe call on the phone; Zhang Lin is angry that Joe missed his dinner with Benny and refused to report on Ming Xiaoli, as he is only interested in the Tank Man. Zhang Lin calls Wang Pengfei a hero for refusing to kill the Tank Man, though Joe thinks his affiliation with the Party makes him a villain. At the end of their tense call, Joe offers to help Zhang Lin get a visa sponsorship by marrying him.
Analysis
Interpersonal callousness toward the suffering of others is a motif used throughout Chimerica to comment on how China and America prioritize economic dominance over the well-being of their citizens. Just as Mel demonstrated earlier in the play, characters in Chimerica exhibit disturbing callousness that is so shocking it often reads as dark comedy. In Act Four, the lawyer, Judy, mentions that she had a heart attack yet is still working and even joins the "company paintballing" retreat. This interaction frames Peter's compliance with the Chinese government. Though he knows providing the police with Zhang Lin's IP address will lead to his arrest and possibly death, Peter complies with only brief hesitation before moving back to his work.
Just as the Chinese government allows persistent poor air quality and the American government silences journalists to protect corporate interests, Joe adopts an "ends justify the means" mentality while reporting on his story. He harms others while chasing after the real Tank Man, believing his story's inspirational qualities will justify the legal and ethical lines he crosses. Joe blackmails his friend and contact, Senator Maria Dubiecki; he neglects his friendship with Zhang Lin by ignoring his many requests for help; he even physically assaults Wang Pengsi, his most essential source. Joe feels emboldened to take these actions for the story's sake, evidenced by his belief that Wang Pengsi is "illegal" and thus is "not going to bring the cops" to the crime scene.
The theme of self-delusion is explored in Zhang Lin's interrogation scene. The officer interrogating Zhang Lin refuses to see the facts in Zhang Lin's article. Instead, he uses repetition and circular logic to convince himself that the Party is proactively addressing pollution. For example, every time Zhang Lin describes air pollution using the word "smog," the interrogator corrects him, saying that the "fog" in Beijing is "just weather" and, therefore, not a concern. Though the interrogator lives in Beijing and is subjected to air quality quarantines, he uses language to convince himself of the Party's truthfulness. After several minutes of this self-delusion, Zhang Lin asserts that, according to a scientific study, "the happiest people are the ones who are best at lying to themselves." By this, Zhang Lin means that self-delusion is necessary to accept a dismal reality without complaint. Zhang Lin, who cannot lie to himself and is thus haunted by Liuli's ghost, is unhappy and resists accepting false narratives.
The play contrasts Tess and Joe's self-obsessed discussions of heroism with the violent consequences of Zhang Lin's rebellion to highlight Joe's deluded belief in his own heroism. Joe insists that the image of the Tank Man is inspiring and will affect more lives than Maria Dubiecki's work as a public servant. This assertion is quickly followed by a love scene between Joe and Tess, who are carefree and self-assured after agreeing that the Tank Man "survived, carried on, made a life" after the protests. By contrasting this statement with Zhang Lin, the true Tank Man, being tortured, the play visually demonstrates the theme of self-delusion. Joe wants the Tank Man's story to be triumphant and cinematic and thus assumes it is so. However, the grim reality is that Zhang Lin suffered for his brief moment of heroism and continues to do the hard work of standing up to unjust authorities that Joe believes he himself is doing.
Tess's presentation for the credit card company is shocking and tasteless; it highlights the similarities between the enmeshed Chinese and American economies. As Tess points out, American companies only succeed in China once they have "made themselves Chinese enough in a country that values the supremacy of its culture above all else." During her presentation, Tess realizes this connection between the two global superpowers. She understands that American capitalism and rapid Chinese economic growth are interconnected forces that negatively impact the Chinese population. This realization provides a hopeful commentary on the theme of self-delusion, as Tess recognizes her role in perpetuating unjust systems and consequently changes her behavior.
In an ironic reveal, the "Unknown Hero" Wang Pengsi referred to is the soldier in the tank, not the Tank Man. This revelation adds to the theme of heroism. Joe angrily asserts that Wang Pengfei, the Party soldier and tank driver, cannot be a hero, as he was "on the side of the Party" and, thus, a villain in Joe's limited understanding of heroism. However, as Zhang Lin and Wang Pengsi argue, Wang Pengfei's refusal to run over Tank Man defied direct orders, and he was executed for this act of mercy. Thus, the narrative asserts that the 1989 protests and civil unrest, more broadly, are complicated issues in which seemingly opposing sides can act with great violence or great mercy. Zhang Lin's rebuttal lays bare Joe's privileged outsider perspective and invites the audience to reconsider black-and-white understandings of the world, which are likely influenced by propaganda and political and economic interests.
