Thomas Fang

Cine 220
Essay Prompt 1
Hands and the Golden Cangue

Wang Ya-ming in Hands and Chi-chiao in The Golden Cangue are both victimized by

society. Wang Ya-ming is discriminated against due to her discolored hands while Chi-chiao is

incarcerated by the symbol of a golden cangue. These two symbols demarcate Wang Ya-ming

and Chi-chiao from their peers and they are both burdened by societys reactions to these

symbols. Thus, a thorough analysis of the discolored hands and the symbol of the golden cangue

provides insight into the respective victimization of Wang Ya-ming and Chi-chiao.

The discolored hands symbolize the class shaming that Wang Ya-ming experiences. Her

hands are a result of her familys lower social class, who make a living as dyers. Her entire

family has discolored hands from having to work with blue and red dyes. Thus these hands are a

clear symbol of class difference between Wang Ya-ming and the other students and faculty at the

school. Furthermore, the ridicule and criticisms Wang Ya-ming receives on account of these

hands reflect class shaming present in the modern school system. Wang Ya-mings peers call her

freak and mistreat her accordingly. Her teachers rather than helping her, join in on the ridicule.

The principal also makes no effort to help Wang Ya-ming and further aggravates her situation.

Even the janitor discriminates against Wang Ya-ming due to her hands. He doesnt let Wang Ya-

ming in to the school building, but upon arrival of one of her peers, he changes his demeanor

instantly and lets them in. Thus, the discriminating treatment Wang Ya-ming due to her hands,

which are representative of social class difference, clearly demonstrates an element of class

shaming.

The victimization of Wang Ya-ming due to her hands also reflect upon the school

systems reaction to uphold uniformity. Throughout the story, the principal criticizes Wang Ya-
Thomas Fang
Cine 220
Essay Prompt 1
ming for having special hands that are different from the other students hands. The principal

is the voice of authority at the school and symbolizes the general school systems mentality. She

constantly tells Wang Ya-ming to get cleaner hands and even bans her from participating in

morning calisthenics as she does not want outsiders to perceive a blemish in the uniform

appearance of the school. Thus, the discrimination towards Wang Ya-mings hands also reflects

upon the school systems rejection of individuality.

Similarly, Chi-chiao is symbolically incarcerated by the symbol of the golden cangue.

The golden cangue symbolizes the oppressive situation that Chi-chiao falls victim to. A cangue

is a restrictive device worn around the necks of prisoners while they travel around in public.

Chi-chiaos family marries her off to a crippled man from a wealthy family. Thus, while she

marries into wealth and has prospects of obtaining this wealth upon her husbands death, she also

becomes imprisoned by this marriage. Hence, she is incarcerated by the golden cangue which

symbolizes the wealth and the burdens of the marriage. As a result of the marriage, Chi-chiao

loses a large degree of personal freedom. She gives up on potential love interests. Moreover,

she serves a crippled man that she does not love. The burden of the golden cangue also isolates

Chi-chiao from the rest of society. Her in laws look down upon her due to her original lower

social class. Even the servants are disgusted by her vulgarities which they attribute to her

background. Moreover, her role in society becomes serving as her husbands caretaker. Thus the

golden cangue that burdens Chi-chiao represents the oppressive situation that she becomes

trapped in. While both the golden cangue and the discolored hands represented a degree of class

shaming, the golden cangue also reflects on how this cycle of oppression can be perpetuated.

After Chi-chiao obtains wealth from her husbands death, she in turn oppresses her son,
Thomas Fang
Cine 220
Essay Prompt 1
daughter-in law, and daughter. She becomes a thorn in her son and daughter-in laws marriage

and proceeds to ruin all prospects of her daughter's marriage. Although Chi-chiao suffered

under the burden of the golden cangue, she was also involved in the perpetuation of this kind of

oppression. Thus the symbolic use of the discolored hands and the golden cangue both reflect

upon the victimization of Wang Ya-ming and Chi-chiao in Hands and The Golden Cangue

respectively.