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
On the last morning of October, Wei walks purposefully through the cool morning air towards the bus station. His life savings are split between two envelopes, one in his jacket pocket, one in his satchel. After years of standing still, it feels good to be in motion. The last time he left Guangzhou was more than 25 years ago, when he delivered a lecture on Sung Dynasty art in Shanghai. He remembers how confident he once felt, sharing his wisdom and knowledge with large audiences. But in the nearly 10 years since his retirement, he’s barely left the villa. As the city wakes up, the streets fill with pedestrians and cyclists. Wei particularly delights in the sight of two riders with a mattress tied between their bikes, pedaling in perfect unison.
As Wei relishes the feeling of being in motion, he reflects on just how rooted—how stagnant—he has become. It seems that his personal growth stopped sometime in Sheng’s childhood, when he became comfortable and complacent in his life and his relationships. The bicyclists balancing the mattress between them offer a not-so-subtle metaphorical reminder that relationships require balance and mutual, reciprocal action to work, something Wei now begins to understand.
Themes
The train and bus depots occupy the same building. People crowd the train side, but the bus side is quieter. Wei asks the attendant if he can take a bus from Guangzhou all the way to Luoyang. The attendant consults his book and replies that Wei can, but it will take three or four days at least, with 22 stops along the way. The train will take half that time, even if it is more expensive. Crossing back into the train station, the noisy, rushing crowds make Wei feel queasy, and he must pause for a moment to collect himself. The train ticket costs nearly a quarter of his savings. He buys it anyway.
Even before Wei leaves the city, it becomes clear that the journey will be far more complex, involved, and challenging than he expected. Only at the station does he begin to truly grasp the distance between himself and Sheng. Still, when Wei decides to spend so much of his money on the train ticket, it highlights that he now believes it’s important to reconnect with his son—and the monetary sacrifice is worth it.
Themes
