"Waiting" by Ha Jin
Examining a passage from
Furtively Mai Dong stretched out his hand, held Manna's shoulder, and pulled her closer so as to kiss her lips.
"What are you doing?" she cried, leaping to her feet. Her abrupt movement scared away the mallards and geese in the water. She didn't understand his intention and thought he had attempted something indecent, like a hoodlum. She didn't remember ever being kissed by anyone.
He looked puzzled, then muttered, "I didn't mean to make you angry like this."
"Don't ever do that again."
"All right, I won't." He turned away from her and looked piqued, spitting on the grass.
From then on, though she didn't reproach him again, she resisted his advances resolutely, her sense of virtue and honor preventing her from succumbing to his desire. Her resistance kindled his passion. Soon he told her that he couldn't help thinking of her all the time, as though she had become his shadow. Sometimes at night, he would walk alone in the compound of the Sub-Command headquarters for hours, with his 1951 pistol stuck in his belt. Heaven knew how he missed her and how many nights he remained awake tossing and turning while thinking about her. Out of desperation, he proposed to her two months before her graduation. He wanted to marry her without delay. (Jin 24)
Tone/Mood
In this passage the mood comes across as innocence. Manna Wu is inexperienced when it comes to love or being touched by a man for that matter. So when Mai Dong went in for that kiss she couldn't help but freak out and look at him with disgust. She didn't want her virtue to be defiled by his scumbag desires. She is a virgin and plans to keep it that way until marriage and having an affair at the hospital would compromise both her integrity and virtue. The tone would be honor because the author wants the reader to know that honor is a great thing to preserve and not compromise for love. In this case Manna Wu doesn't compromise her honor by giving into Mai's desires. She knows if she does the hospital will shun her and kick her out of the schools program and she will be a laughing stock in her village.
Characters:
The main character of this passage is Manna Wu and Mai Dong. The protagonist would be Manna Wu and the antagonist would be in my opinion Chinese society and traditions.
Description and Imagery
Sight would be the prominent sensory in this passage because it says "Her abrupt movement scared away the mallards and geese in the water" right there i imagine a flock of mallards flying away so quick and water splashing from them moving so quickly do to the abrupt movement which scared them. Also when is says "s though she had become his shadow." I think of a women being Mai's shadow that outlines him and follows him where ever he goes like a ghost. The last piece is when it describes Mai having sleepless nights because he cant get Manna off his mind. It says "Heaven knew how he missed her and how many nights he remained awake tossing and turning while thinking about her. Out of desperation, he proposed to her two months before her graduation." this right here is a great image a lot of people can imagine and relate to because its such a common thing to occur in peoples daily lives. This goes on to show how strong his lust for her is.
