Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in A Hundred Flowers, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Redemption
Journeys and Growth
Suffering, Strength, and Resilience
Home and Family
The Promises and Failures of Communism
Summary
Analysis
To his surprise, Wei feels more relief than anger when he finds Suyin in the living room; it’s nice to talk to someone who doesn’t know about the letter. He knows how much he intimidates her, and he wonders if he always has this effect on people.
Although he’s been distrustful of Suyin thus far, in stumbling on her in the living room, Wei is reminded that relationships with strangers can improve a family—like Song has done. In this case, Suyin helps Wei to see a truth about himself that his family allowed him to ignore: he is an aloof, harsh, and intimidating man who takes more than he gives in relationships.
Themes
Wei’s walk the next morning takes him to the harbor. He thinks about the courage it must have taken the sailors of the Ming and Quing dynasties (from the 14th through the 19th centuries) to sail away from home, never knowing for sure if they would return. He thinks about the great rivers that connect the distant corners of China, how they have ferried its treasures from one place to the next for centuries. He wishes Tao were with him, so he could tell his grandson about how powerful and important China once was—and how the color has drained from it since the Communist Party takeover. He wonders if he wrote the letter in part to try to reclaim his past. But glory, wealth, and comfort mean nothing without his family to share them with.
As Wei walks, he thinks in the terms he knows (and loves) best: Chinese art and history. He realizes that the Lee family was once strong and whole, just as China was once vibrant and powerful. Crucially, in this moment, he finally makes the connection between strength and movement: China was great because brave merchants and sailors risked their lives and livelihoods to trade, explore, and discover the world beyond their hometowns. Their bravery provides a blueprint for Wei’s redemption. He cannot singlehandedly restore his country to its former glory. But he can leave his own safe walls and attempt to rebuild the Lee family.
Themes
Suddenly, Wei knows what he must do. It’s time for him to leave the safe walls of the Guangzhou and the villa, to go do something rather than just wait for news. He will go to Luoyang to see Sheng. This won’t fix things, but he hopes it will give Kai Ying some peace. For the first time in months, Wei feels a sense of peace himself. He closes his eyes and conjures up the image of Liang, something he hasn’t been able to do in weeks. He no longer feels alone.
As Wei resolves to undertake his own journey—not just to help his family, but also to improve himself—he feels a sense of peace. He has grasped two key ideas: growth requires movement, and his only hope for redemption lies in learning to honor the relationships he has with Sheng, Kai Ying, Tao, and even Liang.
Themes
