The Bridegroom Analysis

Vocabulary Words:

· Capons: castrated chickens

· Brazen: bold and unashamed

· Manifesto: declaration of principles

· Bourgeois: conventional; capitalist

· Boluses: intravenous injection of drug

· Spittoon: receptacle for spittle

One thing that I noticed while reading this story was Ha Jin’s use of color imagery. He uses colors to portray emotion, setting, and ultimately the process of dealing with Baowen’s homosexuality. Below I have listed different color categories and different quotes that pertained to these colors. There were more color references, but these were the ones that I thought related most to the plot and major themes.

Blue

1. “She must have gained at least a dozen pounds since the wedding. Her blue dungarees had become so tight that they seemed about to burst. Viewed from behind, she looked like a giant turnip.”

2. “As I was wondering about the nature of Baowen’s crime, a middle-aged man came in. He had a solemn face and his eyes were half-closed. He took off his dark-blue tunic, hung it on the back of the chair, and sat down at the end of the table.”

Both of these quotes show uneasy anticipation. These quotes came from the time after when the uncle found out that Baowen did not come home for the night, and before Baowen’s sexual orientation was known. I thought that these references to blue were ironic, since blue is often associated with calmer, more soothing emotions.

Green

1. “”I don’t know. I looked for him everywhere.” She licked her cracked lips and took off her green work cap, her hair in a huge bun.”

2. “A policewoman conducted us into a conference room upstairs where green silk curtains hung in the windows.”

3. “He smiled at us and said rather secretively, “I want to ask you a favor.” He rolled his eyes as the dark-green van rounded the corner, coming towards us.”

4. “After taking off our shoes and putting on plastic slippers, we entered a small room that had pea-green walls and a parquet floor.”

Green was the most common color referenced in the story. The first quote and third quote show the uniformity of the color; it is the color of her work cap and the van, as it is an official color often used for uniforms, such as the army, and is a very common color found in nature. Quotes 2 and 3 refer to the setting, and the references cause the reader to guess at what the significance of the color will be; looking back, it can be considered a form of foreshadowing.

Black

1. “Affixed along the interior wall of the tub were rectangles of black, perforated metal.”

2. “Baowen was noiseless in the electrified water, with his eyes shut and his head resting on a black rubber pad at the end of the tub. He looked fine, rather relaxed.”

These quotes conflict with each other in a way; the first quote with “black, perforated metal” has an intimidation factor, causing the reader to have anticipation of what the electric bath will be like. The 2^nd quote shows a more calming side of the color, with his head resting on the black rubber pad.

White

1. “With a white towel Nurse Long wiped the sweat off Baowen’s face and whispered, “I’ll turn it down in a few minutes.”

2. “The sun was high and the sun blazingly white”

The first quote ties along with the general associations that come with the color white; purity. The nurse is using the white towel to clear away the sweat. The second quote was ironic because you usually think of colors such as red or orange as describing the sun, and “blazing,” but here he uses white.

Mixed Colors

1. “In one corner of the living room was a coat tree on which hung the red down parka Baowen had bought her before their wedding, and in another corner sat a floor lamp…Near the inner wall was a large sofa upholstered in orange imitation leather, and next to it, a yellow enamel spittoon. A black-and-white TV perched on an oak chest against the outer wall. I was impressed, especially by the floor, inlaid with bricks and covered with bright red paint.”

2. “Startled, he closed his brown notebook and looked up.”

3. “Outside, in the distance, firecrackers, one after another, scattered clusters of sparks in the indigo dusk.”

These quotes simply represent some other color references in the story. The first quote stood out to me because it showed all of the colors represented in the couple’s house. It showed the “black-and-white,” that could be related to their differences as people. It referred to the bright red paint, which could be taken as a symbol of their love despite their strong differences, since red is the color of love. There are many ways that these colors can be analyzed, and I think that his color reference is definitely a unique addition to the story and it adds a deeper layer of meaning to his descriptions.