Book- Half of Man is Woman

Half of Man is Woman by Zhang Xiannliang was a bit of a disappointment for me. It was similar in many ways to the recently read One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, in that it describes the life of a Communist political prisoner. Except this prison is in China rather than Russia.

Similarities do not end merely at subject matter. Both writers were themselves political prisoners, so the books are authentic in theme. Both writers express similar feelings of how to survive these years in the system, and how they feel dehumanized in those conditions.

But whereas Ivan Denisovich compelled me to feel sympathetic for the character, Half of Man did not. In fact I found myself getting annoyed with the main character, as he had chances to make life better for himself and chose not to. Now I am all for upholding a moral code, but there is compromise that you can live with, that upholds moral ground and yet allows life.

What is missing in the main character is the realization that the best revenge is survival. Without that, any protest, any non-compromising attitude doesn't matter. You are dead. And dead can protest not at all.

Zhang Yonglin has a chance to have a happy married life, and he refuses to keep it because it does not allow him to express himself in writing for fear that it may come back and harm his wife. While a noble sentiment, he takes it even further and starts hurting his wife himself, so she will want to divorce. He wants to be free to criticize the government, and take their punishment, up to and including death. So instead of making some kind of peace, even as he can see a better government possibly coming up, he hurts his happiness and his wife's.

Part of my disappointment may have to do with my own faults as a reader. I may not quite be at ease with some of the Eastern philosophy that may color attitudes of the characters in this book, and I have less of an understanding of historical/political events that are discussed than I might have.

But while I found the story of trying to survive this dehumanizing system good, I found the internal struggle underwhelming.