In the novel The Question of Hu written by Jonathan Spence, the text covers the mid-eighteenth century journey of a Jesuit missionary, Father Jean-Francois Foucquet, and his Chinese scribe, John Hu from China to the western world. The interactions that occur between Hu and the outside world are primarily due to the cultural differences between Chinese and European customs throughout that time. Hu’s sanity becomes a large question and problem throughout the novel. Hu’s personality is described by Foucquet as insane. This results in a more sympathetic view of Hu. Most of the novel was based on the feeling of sympathy towards Hu. The reader begins to build sympathetic feelings towards Hu because even though Hu did not work as stated in his contract signed by him before the voyage Foucquet refused to pay for Hu’s strip back home and pay his wages. Foucquet should have at least paid for his trip back home due to the fact he was the one who took him there and it would be unhuman to strand him in a foreign culture in which Hu does understand the language or any of …show more content…
These interpretations occur when Hu takes his first steps on the boat to leave for France and are extended every step of the way until Hu returns back to his small hometown in China. In their stay in Port Louis Hu stole/ borrowed a horse (depending on your point of view). One side is that Hu is from a completely different culture and does not know any better, and the other side is that no matter what culture someone is in it is not okay to steal, or borrow without asking and not returning. This shows how the reader is left to decide whether it was actually Hu’s cultural differences or the fact that he was