Necessity in "Winds and Clouds Over a Funeral"
Necessity in "Winds and Clouds Over a Funeral" Thesis: Instead, necessity may coerce an individual to take an action that reason demands; in other words, necessity might create opportunities. Ding Liang finds himself in such a situation, and the reason why his actions are admirable to the reader is that Ding finds opportunities and fortune in the necessity of the Communist political situation.Niccolo Machiavelli has said that necessity is a virtue. Necessity arises out of the political circumstances in which an individual finds himself; the hostile climate of a fascist government can force an idealistic member of the press corps to limit his speech, out of interest for his life or his family's future. Machiavelli believes that this force is a factor determining actions but outside of a person's control. However, in Machiavelli's view necessity is not just a hostile force that makes man's actions purely automatic. Instead, necessity may coerce an individual to take an action that reason demands; in other words, necessity might create opportunities. Ding Liang finds himself in such a situation, and the reason why his actions are admirable to the reader is that Ding finds opportunities and fortune in the necessity of th
When his mother dies, he begins preparations for the burial of his mother, buying a casket from the nearby Carpentry House. Though some absolutist ethical systems might object to lies told to save the lives of others, most people would agree that the lies were necessary and noble. Yet these grievances are silenced when they hear that Ding has been promoted to Vice-Magistrate of Gold County. The ends justify the means, and the means are ultimately viewed as harmless to the family's love for one another. He comes to the meeting believing that Yang's faction will reject his wish to bury his mother, but instead they urge him to go ahead and "let Old Ding decide by himself" (51). His father successfully gauges his situation, weighs his options, and makes a decision; Ding chooses according to the survival of his family and his political fortune, and not according to his conscience. In the midst of these preparations, Huang Zhi (the vice-chairman of the commune) tells Ding about a Party meeting that he should attend, during which the burial of Ding's mother will be discussed. Though Ding makes sacrifices that might seem questionable at first, the necessity of the situation dictates the actions. In other words, why should he satisfy some vague, metaphysical notion such as "duty" and "honor" when his perceived devotion to the Party and consequently his family's well being is jeopardized? Ultimately, Ding's mastery of the situation reveals his deep-seated realism, and his gift to turn seemingly detrimental circumstances into beneficial results. In line with this balancing act, the false account of his mother's cremation is meant to demonstrate not only his devotion to the Party (which he does when he agrees to cremate his mother), but also his love and support of his mother's wishes. After hearing this advice, Ding decides to cremate his mother instead, despite his promise. However, despite his political success, Ding still has problems at home. The necessity that Ding faces is two-fold: first, he must support his family by maintaining his political position or be promoted to another, more prestigious post; second, to do fulfill the first task, he must balance his filial ties with his obligations to the Communist Party. Contrary to this advice, Ding's supporters say that Ding should not be allowed to proceed with the burial.
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