Ocean Of Words Ha Jin Analysis

Intellectual repression is a sign of any oppressive government. Following the failure of the Great Leap Forward, Communist leader Mao Zedong started the Cultural Revolution in an attempt to revive the people’s faith and enthusiasm in him and the Communist Revolution. From 1966 to 1976, there was a purge against intellectuals and artists of Chinese society, which were seen as elitist. Furthermore, Mao received criticism due to the famine that resulted from the Great Leap Forward, so any non-revolutionary intellectual was automatically suspected of being counter-revolutionary (History.com Staff). As a victim of the Cultural Revolution, Ha Jin, author of the short story “Ocean of Words”, exposes the struggle of a soldier in the People’s Liberation Army, Zhou Wen, to choose between his love of knowledge and the expectation to be devoted to the Communist Party. Set in the early 1970s, “Ocean of Words” is Ha Jin’s representation of intellectual repression during the Cultural Revolution that mourns the loss of culture and talent in China. As a result of the government …show more content…
When Zhou clarifies the use of “apparition” in Marx’s Manifesto of the Communist Party to Director Liang, the director commends him, “‘You see Little Zhou, my mind always goes straight and never makes turns’” (Jin 1093). Unlike the director, Zhou can think critically to detect Marx’s irony, a common literary rhetoric, because he reads avidly. Experience with the written word allows him to distinguish the nuances in Marx’s writing. During the Revolution, the lack of creativity stagnated cultural progress. Without creativity and the exchange of ideas, the people were limited in their points of view. China became isolated, so the only influence was the Communist Party, which made it difficult for Chinese people to evaluate foreign literature, explaining the reason behind Director Liang’s confusion when Mao used “apparition” to describe