Rickshaw by Lao She: An Analysis
Rickshaw
The purpose of this paper is to introduce, discuss, and analyze the novel "Rickshaw" by Lao She, translated by Jean M. James. Specifically, it will focus on the function of the rickshaw as a symbol in the text. Author Lao She uses the rickshaw in the text as a symbol of freedom and hope, or so it seems at first. Those who own their own rickshaws are expected to be successful and thriving rickshaw men, but Hsiang Tzu illustrates the opposite, he never quite reaches his potential, and his rickshaw does not set him free, it tethers him to the poverty of Peking. Ultimately, the rickshaw is a symbol of what is wrong with Chinese society, and how it allows good men such as Hsiang ...
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to drivers. Therefore, the rickshaw itself is a symbol of freedom and hope. Owning a rickshaw transforms many drivers from poverty to success, but this does not happen in Hsiang Tzu's case, he cannot rise above the poverty and hopelessness surrounding him, no matter his status in the rickshaw community. In fact, the author writes, "But hopes for the most part come to nothing and Hsiang Tzu's were no exception" (Lao 10). Thus, the Tzu's rickshaw is his salvation and his curse at the same time.
Rickshaws appear throughout the story, in fact, they could be considered another character in the story because they are so important to the rickshaw drivers' lives. To the drivers, the rickshaws are their lives (Lao 12), and so, they take on special significance as the story continues. When Tzu loses his rickshaw, his life takes another turn, for the rickshaw is his livelihood as well as his hope for the future, and he must start all over again on his quest for success. The ...
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Rickshaw by Lao She: An Analysis. (2016, June 24). Retrieved May 19, 2025, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Rickshaw-by-Lao-She-An-Analysis/105721
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"Rickshaw by Lao She: An Analysis." Essayworld.com. June 24, 2016. Accessed May 19, 2025. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Rickshaw-by-Lao-She-An-Analysis/105721.
"Rickshaw by Lao She: An Analysis." Essayworld.com. June 24, 2016. Accessed May 19, 2025. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Rickshaw-by-Lao-She-An-Analysis/105721.
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