Jinhui Zhuo
Sinking by Yu Dafu
The early 1900s was a period of changes in literature, society, economics and politics in China. The protagonist, who’s in his early 20s, in “sinking” is forced to study medicine in Japan by his older brother. During his time in Japan, the protagonist had a severe feeling of loneliness and homesickness which causes his mental state to suffer as the story process. The protagonist suffers from low self-esteem and depression throughout the story because of racism and loneliness. The protagonist is paranoid with his classmates and situation around him. At the beginning of the story, the protagonist often compares Japanese’s landmarks and women with China because of his deep senses of nationalism. He has strong hostility
