According to Chinese culture, the forces that determine order are yin and yang. The basis of this concept is that everything has its opposite which maintains balance. One of most well known yin and yang pairings are life and death. Yu Hua in the novel To Live, integrates balance in order to develop a deep understanding of life exchanges. Even Fugui comes to understand this as “[he] realized how close [he had] come to being in Long Er’s shoes” (84). In order for himself to live, Long Er dies because of circumstance. That the position of wealth previously afforded to Fugui was fated for death is seen when China becomes communist. This by revealing this the author illustrates that Fugui, by losing his status, did not have to give his life. …show more content…
The doctors “wanted to take some blood,” but “to save the magistrate’s wife” (150) they took Youqing’s life. She was going to die, but with the blood, she survives, yet the balance must be maintained thus leading to Youqing’s death. Yu Hua demonstrates the bitter side to living as the people around the main character die and are sacrificed to circumstance. He makes the point that for these characters living is not easy and constantly reminds the reader of their mortality. In a similar circumstance, Fugui’s daughter Fengxia, while bringing new life into the world, “[dies] during childbirth” (207). Her life was exchanged for her son’s in accordance with balance. As Fugui laments his two children's death, he recognizes how Youqing died “during someone else’s delivery” also. These situations are paralleled for the purpose of illustrating the relationship of life and death. Both life and death hold suffering and pain to their victims and the people around