Mao Statue
In the square where Mr. Chiu and his wife and enjoying their meal is a statue of Chairman Mao. Mao was the leader of the communist revolution and the dictator of China for the next ensuing decades. Mr. Chiu is a dedicated Maoist about to realize his status as a loyalist won’t save him and so the pigeons perched on the state of Mao become a symbolic foreshadowing of the corruption that has befallen the order of communist China to which Mr. Chiu still clings.
Hepatitis
The condition which has made Mr. Chiu sick and which he will put to use in his revenge is hepatitis and it causes damage to the liver. The liver is an essential part of the body’s ability to detoxify dangerous substances. Part of Mr. Chiu’s character which leads to the incidents taking place is his ability to discharge parts of a belief system which no longer apply to modern China. The process of arrest, imprisonment, dehumanization and forced confession has the effect of flushing out these beliefs which connects to the symbolism of his physical ailment.
Flea Bites
As Mr. Chiu looks at the prison mattress infested with fleas, he recalls a memory in which it was said of him that his flesh must not taste human since he seemed to possess an extraordinarily unusual resistance to the effect of flea bites. Throughout the story is imagery which situates Mr. Chiu as somewhat unfeeling or at least lacking what might be viewed as normal emotional reactions: his distant behavior with his wife, his persistent displays of holding fast to theory instead of dealing with real-life circumstances of his situation and even his ability to sleep through the night.
The Honeymoon
The story opens as Mr. Chiu and his new bride are returning from a honeymoon which is described as a “strain” which had “tired him out” and that he was “glad was finally over.” These descriptions situate the bridal honeymoon as a symbol that his Mr. Chiu’s long happy honeymoon with the Maoist communist China to which he married his system of order and beliefs not outdated is about to come to an end.
Rotten Melons
The first two paragraphs present an almost idyllic world: a newlywed couple enjoying lunch while symbols of protection, policemen, sit at a nearby table enjoying tea and laughter. Everything starts to head south from the opening lines of the next paragraph: “The air smelled of rotten melon.” Unlike many other foods, the smell produced by some fruits like melons can actually grow sweeter. (In fact, melons begin the rotting process the moment they are cut from the vine, so the advice to give them time to ripen so they’ll be sweeter when eaten actually means give them time to rot a little before eating them!) The symbolism is thus encased in the image of something that has been sweet being allowed to fester and rot without being able to actually notice it.
