Old Man Xinjiang Annotation

Old Man Xinjiang, a story written by Xue Mo powerfully captures the attention of the readers and make their hearts ache after reading the story while realizing how bitter and unfair life has been for this old man.

            This story captures a poor old man’s day in a village where everyone knows his sad life story. Old Man Xinjiang, who earned the name when he fled pressed service in Xinjiang and walked all the way back home, has a different view of life and value. Xue Mo beautifully captures simple interactions with a story that would resonate with many who survived the early Mao period.

            Through the writer’s effective use of words, the readers would be able to sympathize to the main character as well as learn life’s lessons like loyalty to a friend and continually being humble.

            It exposes the realities of life-no filters. It reflects life as sometimes harsh, bitter and unfair, but at the the end of the day, it teaches us that it is still your choice to be happy or not to be.

           

            Mo, X. (2012). Old Man Xinjiang by Xue Mo translated by Nicky Harman. The Guardian. Retrieved October 15, 2014 from http://www.theguardian.com/books/2012/apr/11/old-man-xinjiang-xue-mo-story