the equation, the Chinese Communist Party reorganized and discovered that their military tactics were vastly superior to those of the nationalists, who had become undisciplined due to pervasive corruption, leaving the party nearly bankrupt. By October 1949, Chiang Kai-shek had retreated to Taiwan, and Mao Zedong announced the establishment of the People's Republic of China on the mainland.

One-Act Play

The Sound of a Voice is a one-act play featuring nine brief scenes performed by just two actors: a man and a woman. The initial two scenes introduce the audience to the characters. We learn that the man is a wandering Samurai swordsman, while the woman resides alone in the forest. Essential details are exchanged between them, and by the conclusion of the second scene, the woman has extended an invitation for the man to stay at her home. It's clear that the man and the woman do not know each other well, but their dialogue suggests they both have unmet needs they hope the other might fulfill. The nature of these needs remains unclear, but dramatic tension starts to build, sparking the curiosity of both the audience and the characters as they explore the possibilities. What do they seek from each other? How do they envision fulfilling their needs? Is it a purely physical attraction, or do their desires run deeper? This scene serves to engage the audience in the characters' lives.

Scenes 3 through 5 depict the growing intimacy between them, with the dramatic tension continuing to rise. The man participates in household tasks, hinting at his willingness to integrate into the woman's life and suggesting he desires more than just transient physical pleasure. The sexual attraction is evident as they draw closer physically, with the man exposing his chest and humorously mocking his physique.

The woman touches his exposed skin for the first time, gently scolding him for criticizing his own body. This gesture conveys a spectrum of emotions. She implies that aging should not be feared but rather embraced as a natural part of life. She also suggests that their attraction extends beyond the physical, indicating a deeper connection. By sharing her music with the man, she demonstrates her readiness to move beyond the physical realm. Music, while sensual, also represents a language that transcends words, reaching a more spiritual level. Meanwhile, the man assists the woman in removing a stubborn stain from her floor, symbolizing his desire to support her emotionally by helping her overcome past pain. By scene 6, which unfolds without dialogue, it becomes clear that their pursuit is driven by something far deeper than mere lust.

In scene 7, conflict arises as the woman skillfully outmaneuvers the man during a sword fight. This brings shame to the man and makes the woman worry that she may have overstepped the traditional boundaries of what is expected of a woman. The man's humiliation deepens in scene eight when the woman disarms him while he is engaged in a perilous meditation. These moments highlight the central challenge facing the lovers. The woman has always feared her own power in her interactions with men. When she fully reveals her abilities, men tend to leave her. She refuses to conform to the conventional societal expectations of a woman's role, instead showcasing her strength and intelligence. The man, however, has been cautioned about women like her, who allegedly drain a man's strength and trap him. These scenes reinforce stereotypical gender roles. The challenge for the characters is to transcend these social definitions of male and female behavior. They must also redefine love in terms of strength rather than weakness. If they fail, their potential for love will dissolve into tragedy. This marks the peak of dramatic tension. Many questions have been resolved, and the relationship has reached a critical juncture. The choices the woman and the man make will decide whether this story is one of romance or tragedy.

In the final scene, the characters reveal their decisions. The woman has lost hope. She has opened herself to the man but feels too vulnerable. She has endured too much loneliness and isolation and cannot bear any more. She misjudges the man, thinking that he cannot handle her strengths and is leaving. Tragically, the man has conquered his fear of the woman and his fear of intimacy, but his hesitation becomes his fatal flaw. Although this is a love story, it concludes tragically.

Symbolism

Hwang’s play is rich with symbolism, especially through the use of sound. One of the earliest sounds is that of tea being poured into a cup, which the man describes as calming. Later, he mentions spending a night by a waterfall in the forest, finding its sound equally soothing. The sound of water substitutes for human voices, and the act of pouring tea represents a ritual of companionship. This suggests that the man finds the woman comforting as well. These sounds momentarily fulfill a desire for human connection, embodying the play’s central theme of love and intimacy. Another significant sound symbol is the shakuhachi, a Japanese flute played by the woman. She compares its sound to the human voice, much like how the man perceives the waterfall. Initially, she plays the flute softly, symbolizing her hesitance to fully express herself. She fears that revealing her true feelings might drive the man away. She mentions playing for her own pleasure, uncertain if her flute’s "voice" conveys the right message.

Another prominent symbol is the flowers under the woman's care. She tells the man that they have been entrusted to her, arriving from various visitors. When the man examines the flowers, he imagines hearing men’s voices inside them, gently moaning as if entrapped. The woman keeps most of the flowers in her private room, displaying only a few in a vase each day, and returns them to her room at night. Whether the flowers symbolize actual men is not crucial. What matters are the care she gives them and their vibrant colors, reflecting her emotions, her readiness to love, and the depth and nourishment of that love. At one point, the man secretly takes a flower from the vase and places it under his pillow, indicating his desire for a share of her love, despite his fear of becoming trapped himself.

Another symbolic moment unfolds in scene 5 when the woman is scrubbing the floor. She discovers a persistent stain and tells the man that it has been there since she moved in. Despite her efforts, she hasn't been able to remove it, but the man decides to give it a try. He scrubs in rhythm, narrating how he is gradually making progress. First, the stain's edges begin to fade, and then he moves "towards the center—to the heart." This stain could symbolize the sorrow the woman has experienced over the years as different men have entered and left her life, each taking a piece of her heart. The act of removing the stain might signify a healing process for her. Once the stain is gone, the woman expresses her gratitude, and he responds: "We are a team!"

1980s: Rising from 1.5 million in the 1970s, the Asian American population grew to nearly 3.7 million by 1980, a number that almost doubled by the end of the decade.

Today: The Asian American population exceeds 10 million people.

1980s: Amy Tan achieved success with her novel The Joy Luck Club (1989), and the subsequent film adaptation made literary works by Asian American authors more popular.

Today: Many influential Chinese Americans are leaders in politics, computer technology, medicine, and the arts. Dr. David Ho, named Time magazine’s Man of the Year, is recognized for his groundbreaking research on the AIDS epidemic. In the arts, Yo-Yo Ma captivates audiences with his ten-time Grammy-winning cello performances.

1980s: Mao Zadong’s Cultural Revolution is officially declared a disaster as China experiences significant political reform. Hua Guofeng, a protege of Mao, is replaced as premier by the reform-minded Sichuan party chief Zhao Ziyang.

Today: With unemployment rates rising in China, officials are searching for methods to monitor and address social unrest.

SOURCES Reiner, Jay, review of Flower Drum Song, in the Hollywood Reporter, Vol. 370, No. 23, October 15, 2001, pp. 6–7.

Review of The Sound of a Voice, in People Weekly, Vol. 21, January 9, 1984, p. 88.

Rich, Frank, ‘‘Theatre: Sound and Beauty, Two One-Act Plays,’’ in the New York Times, November 7, 1983.

Sarver, Linda, ‘‘Between Worlds: The Sound of a Voice and Pay the Chinaman,’’ in Theatre Journal, Vol. 47, No. 1, March 1995, pp. 145–47.

FURTHER READING

Daidoji, Yuzan, Code of the Samurai, Charles E. Tuttle, 1999. The influence of the Samurai warrior in Japanese culture is rooted in ancient history but continues to affect modern Japanese society, politics, family dynamics, and individual character. This comprehensive guide to the Code of the Samurai lifestyle helps Western audiences understand the historical significance of Japanese warriors.

Hanke, Ken, Charlie Chan at the Movies: History, Filmography, and Criticism, McFarland, 1989. Hanke delivers a thorough examination of the Charlie Chan film series, detailing the various actors who portrayed the main roles, providing summaries of each movie, and offering additional insights.

Kawaii, Hayao, and Gerald Donat, eds., Dreams, Myths, and Fairy Tales in Japan, Daimon Verlag, 1995. Since The Sound of a Voice draws from the structure of a Japanese fairy tale, this book, which explores both the form and its significance in Japanese culture, grants a richer understanding of the psychological themes in Hwang’s play.

Lee, Josephine, ed., Performing Asian American: Race and Ethnicity on the Contemporary Stage, Temple University Press, 1997. Josephine Lee discusses the intricate social and political themes presented by Asian American playwrights. The book examines plays such as David Henry Hwang’s M. Butterfly, Frank Chin’s The Chickencoop Chinaman, Velina Hasu Houston’s Tea, Jeannie Barroga’s Walls, and Wakako Yamauchi’s 12–1-a.

Wong, Sau-Ling Cynthia, Reading Asian American Literature, Princeton University Press, 1993. As Asian American literary studies expand, questions about interpretation naturally arise. This work explores authors such as Frank Chin, David Henry Hwang, Maxine Hong Kingston, Joy Kogawa, David Wong Louie, Bharati Mukherjee, Amy Tan, Shawn Wong, and Wakako Yamauchi.