The frame narrative style structure that Yu Hua uses in To Live shows the reader the end of Fugui’s story and shows that eventually Fugui makes his way up the hierarchy and becomes an ox. Early in the book it is revealed that Fugui will eventually have an ox and be alone on a farm. This foreshadows his growth as a person that comes later as the narrator continues to listen to Fugui’s story. With each break into the present, the narrator notices how much Fugui resembles his ox of the same name. The narrator notes that Fugui’s pants “looked just like the skin on the ox’s stomach” (87). The people in the village even “started to say that [they] looked alike” (234). By the end of Fugui’s life he has developed as a character and has moved from being a chicken to being an ox.
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Fugui feels as if he did not make his family proud but the significance of describing Fugui as an ox at the end of the story shows that he is wrong. Fugui’s growth is shown in how he treats people and animals and how he views his past actions with disdain. As Fugui tells his story he comments on how poorly he treated Jiazhen calling himself “a real asshole” (23). Fugui now treats people and animals with respect. He is very gentle and caring with his ox, which he worked so hard to earn. Fugui tells the narrator he keeps ten yuan under his pillow and “even if [he] has to starve to death there’s no way [he is] touching that ten yuan” (231). Fugui understands how important money is in the life he lives. He blames not having enough money for the reason his son, wife and grandson all died. Fugui will never waste money again and understands how he used to use his money to “screw around” (231). Once Fugui was older he understood the value of money but he also knew that money was not the most important
Fugui feels as if he did not make his family proud but the significance of describing Fugui as an ox at the end of the story shows that he is wrong. Fugui’s growth is shown in how he treats people and animals and how he views his past actions with disdain. As Fugui tells his story he comments on how poorly he treated Jiazhen calling himself “a real asshole” (23). Fugui now treats people and animals with respect. He is very gentle and caring with his ox, which he worked so hard to earn. Fugui tells the narrator he keeps ten yuan under his pillow and “even if [he] has to starve to death there’s no way [he is] touching that ten yuan” (231). Fugui understands how important money is in the life he lives. He blames not having enough money for the reason his son, wife and grandson all died. Fugui will never waste money again and understands how he used to use his money to “screw around” (231). Once Fugui was older he understood the value of money but he also knew that money was not the most important