The Tank Man Photographs (Motif)
Chimerica explores the power of images to influence beliefs and control narratives. As the play's protagonist is the photojournalist famous for capturing one of the most iconic images of the twentieth century, and the major conflict is finding the figure in this image, the Tank Man photograph features prominently throughout the play.
Chimerica opens with a still image of the Tank Man photograph. Recordings of the Tank Man's interactions with the soldiers are available; thus, the still image invites audiences to project their own biases and narratives onto the image, which will be challenged in the play's story. After the Tank Man's identity is revealed, the footage is shown, and the actor playing Zhang Lin syncs his movements to the film, demonstrating how the Tank Man is not simply an iconic figure but a human being with an untold story.
Zhang Lin's Refigerator (Symbol)
Zhang Lin first met Liuli when she entered his apartment by hiding in the refrigerator. When Zhang Lin bought the refrigerator, it was a new luxury item, signifying the hopeful goals of the 1989 protestors. Zhang Lin believed that with democracy and governmental transparency, he could have a higher standard of living, symbolized by the kitchen appliance.
However, after the protests, the refrigerator is a constant reminder of Zhang Lin's loss. Liuli's ghost stands in the refrigerator throughout the play, handing Zhang Lin beers and reminding him of his troubled past. Ultimately Zhang Lin decides to sell the refrigerator, symbolically letting go of the traumas that prevent him from engaging in political activism. After the refrigerator is gone, Zhang Lin writes his damning article and leads a protest.
The Shopping Bags (Symbol)
One of the most notable features in the Tank Man photograph is that the anonymous man carries two shopping bags. Characters like Tess fixate on the shopping bags, believing the bags symbolize the Tank Man's ordinariness and the power of regular people to participate in history.
Joe, by contrast, encourages Tess to "forget the shopping," believing the bags detract from the Tank Man's heroism. From Joe's perspective, heroes are distinct from ordinary people, and the shopping bags complicate this narrative.
At the end of the play, Zhang Lin's memory reveals that the shopping bags contain Liuli's bloodied clothes and jewelry. Thus, the bags symbolize Zhang Lin carrying the emotional weight of her loss, which haunts him for the rest of his life.
Children and Pregnancy (Motif)
Throughout the play, multiple people in Joe's life question his decision not to have children. Joe's life is also contrasted with his peers, who are parents, such as Paul, Mel, and Frank.
Though Joe insists his choice not to have children is because the world he has seen as a photographer is unsafe and violent, Frank, Joe's editor, accuses Joe of being afraid to put down "roots." Similarly, Paul, a former reporter who gave up his career after his daughter's birth, pities Joe for his lack of children.
Joe's childless situation parallels and contrasts with Zhang Lin's. Zhang Lin and his wife, Liuli, expected a child before Liuli was killed during the protests. Zhang Lin's childless life demonstrates his personal loss and his feelings of isolation. At the end of the play, Tess is six months pregnant with Joe's child and gives Joe the choice to be present in the child's life. Thus, Joe's distance from political activism and privileged role as a photographer allows him the parenthood that Zhang Lin, an actual activist, is denied.
Ode to Joy (Motif)
The stage directions in Chimerica frequently call for the musical piece "Ode to Joy" to play during poignant scenes. The inclusion of this iconic classical piece demonstrates the characters' search for meaning and hope amidst political turmoil and personal struggles.
"Ode to Joy" is the final movement of Ludwig van Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. It is considered an anthem celebrating solidarity and has been used in various political protests, such as demonstrations against the Pinochet regime in Chile, after the fall of the Berlin Wall, and during the Tiananmen Square protests.
The song is introduced during one of Zhang Lin's flashbacks when he and Liuli give an interview during the 1989 protests. The music is "tinny and distorted," as Liuli explains her hopes for her future child. The music comments on Liuli and Zhang Lin's joy, which will be taken away from them after the protests turn violent.
"Ode to Joy" also plays as Zhang Lin writes his article about air pollution levels, signifying Zhang Lin's re-entrance into political activism. Though nowhere near the scale of the original protests, Zhang Lin's rebellious writing and protests demonstrate his commitment to his political and social ideals.
