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 train, Wei opens his eyes from a fitful nap. He longs for Tian’s companionship or to be home tucking Tao into bed and telling his grandson a story. He touches the letter in his pocket. It’s the proudest accomplishment of his long life. He will never feel totally absolved of the guilt he feels for stealing precious time from Sheng and his family. But the letter eases the ache a little.
Wei’s priorities have shifted dramatically over the course of the novel. As a scholar, he prioritized his intellectual work over his family and focused on China’s glorious past without realizing the treasures he had in the present: his loving family. Bringing the letter home for Kai Ying is a way he can serve his family, rather than letting them serve him.
Themes
