Injustice

The primary source of drama and thematic weight in the story is the police state’s complete disregard for truth and justice; this dynamic helps to illustrate the personal and moral destructiveness of institutional opposition to basic tenets of a healthy society. This dynamic is first established in the opening scene, when the police officers are shown to have no apparent investment in truth, justice, or honesty. After the officer throws a bowl of tea at Chiu, he denies the very fact of what he just did. When Chiu complains, the officer says, “You're lying. You wet your shoes yourself” (410). The officers are even portrayed as being committed specifically to injustice and self-interest above all other concerns, for they arrest Chiu for challenging their authority. This opening scene thereby establishes the story’s thematic focus on the manifestations and destructive effects of such opposition to truth...