Do Not Say We Have Nothing By Madeleine Thien: An Analysis

“Was there anyone in this world who could taste something delicious-economic freedom and political reform- a taste that was salty and fattening and sweet and promising, and only be satisfied with one mouthful”? The novel, Do Not Say We Have Nothing by Madeleine Thien, portrays the idea of injustice and selfishness. The novel describes the origins of injustice in a society in which the main characters suffer the consequences of not only the Cultural Revolution but also the Tiananmen Square protest. It is a threat to survival that ultimately brings out the worst in people; humans are selfish and narcissistic, harming others consciously and unconsciously, to ensure their own continued existence, no matter the suffering caused on a national, societal, …show more content…
Despite the physical abuse, the national leaders disregard the existence of injustice by ensuring students write the national examination. “Demonstrations have broken out in 151 cities and the government intended to declare martial law . . . The national examinations still had to be written” (398). The government shows no mercy to the source of the problem, the youths, by using their future against their will because education is a privilege, therefore students value it. The national examination also introduces immigrants who desire to become a citizen oppose to the youths, who rather die. Furthermore, the examination acts as a barrier that hides the reality of brutal treatment and capitalistic control over powerless individuals. In addition to physical abuse, the citizens lack freedom, including the decision of their own career path. “The job assignments are pitiful these days . . . I have a cousin who works alone in a closed-down factory in Shaanxi Province. Completely alone! She’s supposed to be an accountant” (345). The differentiation between their education to fulfill a role in society and the assigned job shows that only the government benefits from job selections. By choosing the roles of individuals, the contrast of power among the nation is evident, as well as the manifest of authorities who possess neither sympathy nor empathy for the poor job assignments. Due to this fact, the citizens lack freedom, causing national leaders to blur their responsibilities of being a good exemplar and protecting the citizens, who gave them their luxuries. This results in the never-ending turmoil in the country in which Ai-ming, Sparrow’s daughter, depicts. “How could a person know the difference between what was real and what was merely illusion, or