Fragmented subjectivity in waiting

Abstract

Ha Jin’s Waiting carves a picture of commoners who get victimized in the rigid system that binds each individual into its unnatural and impractical rules and regulations. The protagonists, Manna and Lin long time lovers working in the army hospital guided by strict ideals of the Old Chinese Culture are not permitted to have sexual relationship outside marriage despite their high inclination towards each other. They indeed attempt a lot to reach the goal of new marriage but are made to wait till his wife Shuyu gets ready to accept the divorce. Though both of them make numerous efforts to release them from the cultural boundary, they fail to do so. Their every attempt for wholeness and perfection of new conjugal life remains incomplete which displays the conflict between individuals and rigid military system and society extant basically in the Chinese culture. The very tussle deteriorates the designed plan of individuals and their subjectivity in totality.