Analysis of The Child Who Raised Poisonous Snakes by Can Xue - Essay Example

?Elements that are inside of literature are able to express the main theme as well as the unspoken of ideologies of the story. In “The Child Who Raised Poisonous Snakes” there are a variety of themes and ideologies which are present throughout the story. These are able to help the reader analyze the meaning of the story while not stating the main concept with the character, Sha – yuan. The story becomes a metaphor toward a larger theme of the story which links to the relationship between the child and the parents and the interactions which occur. While the parents are raising a child, they are aloof to the needs and differences with the child. The author is able to show a prevalent problem among families not recognizing the needs of children while remaining separate from the family. This particular story is able to portray this concept through the various literary techniques used, including repetition, symbolism, characterization and the use of not stating the reality of the situation. A specific phrase which continues to be repeated throughout the story is in relation to the child, Sha – yuan. The phrase which is stated is that “But he felt tired very easily…Whenever he felt tired, he simply lay down no matter where and fell asleep” (Xue, 644). This particular phrase is seen with Sha – yuan talking to others or any time he is in a situation where attention is brought to him. The idea of Sha – yuan being inactive and falling asleep is not only significant because of the meaning of the child being absent from life. There is also an implication of the parents being absent from the growth of the child and what is occurring because of the problems which he is facing. The author is then able to convey the theme through the child falling asleep that there is not a connection between the child and the parents as well as loss of the families which were able to care for children in a different manner. The phrase of the child falling asleep also attributes to the absence of words that the author chooses not to use with the story. Instead of the story being based on a child who plays with snakes, there is a deeper meaning which causes the story to become metaphorical. The author does not state an ending to the plot and there are several gaps when looking at the relationship between the parent and the child. Eventually, this leads to the narrator stating “What was Sha – yuan after all? I pondered hard, but in my mind there were only some miscellaneous fragments, some odd remarks. When I tried to concentrate, even the remarks faded away” (689). The unstated fact is that Sha – yuan and the parents are so disconnected that they don’t remember who is and cannot portray this to anyone else. The absence of remarks about the child is able to lead to a variety of conclusions. This is based on the question of whether the child exists as well as the perception of whether the child exists to the parents. The layers of implications are able to create deeper meaning through the absence of stating the conclusion or mystery in association with the character. There are a variety of phrases which imply the theme of the parents not caring for the child and the disconnection from the parents to the child. Words and terms like Sha – yuan disappearing or spending time with the snakes are associated with this. There are also remarks that are continuous with the parents not noticing with the loss or gain in weight while Sha – yuan also states that the snakes in his belly are something which his parents don’t need to know about (687). The continuous repetition of these ideas creates a stronger understanding of what is not said from the narration and what is occurring. The perception of the author is able to come through these statements, specifically with the odd behaviors of the child as well as what goes unnoticed by the parents. The ability for the child to continuously disappear like snakes and the changes which are unnoticed add into the aloof behavior of the parents toward Sha – yuan. The symbolism also links to the main theme and to the other elements in the story. The symbol of the snake is the main image which is portrayed throughout the story. Snakes, especially poisonous ones, are recognized for staying behind and underground and out of site. However, there are times when the snakes will strike but will immediately return to the ground that they are in. The imagery of snakes is also a concept which is threatened or frightful because of the danger it brings to humans. The relationship to Sha – yuan is based on his love of the snakes and their ability to disappear and remain away from others. This is combined with those that are in his belly and which strike or sometimes cause mischief (687). This relates to the main theme with the parents not noticing that Sha – yuan is disappearing from their lives and is transformed into something which seems lifeless to them. The ability for Sha – yuan to feel tired easily that is repeated throughout the story moves deeper into this symbolism. The tiredness comes from the absence of noticing the character and taking interest in the child and instead only taking care of what is expected as parents or friends. The overall characters are able to show how the different ideologies of the story link to the lack of care by the parents toward Sha – yuan. This shows by the end of the story when the author states “The parents stopped watching Sha – yuan’s behavior as if they had lost interest and become oblivious” (689). The combination of this with the parent ideologies then led into a deeper understanding of the familial relations and what the meaning behind the boy with the poisonous snakes relates to. The family relationships are based on the parents remaining separate from the actions and ideals of the child. At the same time, the child is able to create scenarios without the parents noticing. The different scenarios that come up however, lead to the same detachment from Sha – yuan. The characters are then able to show how there is a disconnection and gap between the parents and the child and how the obvious parts of the relationship are left alone and not stated between the different characters. The role of each character shows more of the detachment without one changing their understanding by the end of the story. Like Sha – yuan, all continue to fall asleep to the realities of the conversation through the story. The ability to convey specific points through literature is one which is based on understanding the themes and portrayal from the author. In the story “The Child Who Raised Poisonous Snakes,” there is an understanding of deeper themes that relate to the concepts in the story. The repetition of small phrases, concepts which are not spoken of directly, symbolism and character development all relate to the main ideas with the story. This is combined with the understanding of the family relationships, specifically which remain separate from each other. The parents remain unaware of the conditions of Sha – yuan and the relationship which they have to him. This is combined with the inability for others to remember or understand the child and the relationships which occur. The gap and disconnection is one which becomes symbolic in understanding how relationships in families are similar to falling asleep while growing together while not having the correct approaches to the child. Works Cited Xue, Can. The Child Who Raised Poisonous Snakes. Daniel Hepbern (ed). “The Art of the Story.” Penguin Books: New York, 2000. Read More