30 pages • 1 hour read
Alexander WeinsteinSaying Goodbye to Yang
Fiction | Short Story | Adult | Published in 2016A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
Jim’s Descriptions of Nature
The motif of Jim’s appraisal of the natural world around him signals an acceptance of his situation or is used as a metaphor to gain insight into his emotions. Juxtaposed with the clinical realities of Yang’s death, the poetic moments of nature slow down the frenetic panic of Jim’s journey. Memories are tinged with lyrical descriptions of nature, often going hand in hand with reflections of Yang as a son rather than merely a robot caretaker. In particular, Jim remarks on sunlight and color when relaying an anecdote of raking leaves with Yang, expressing how his grief manifests. The beauty in nature, as compared to the starkness of his grief, helps chart Jim’s acceptance of both Yang and his death. The colors of the fall day he shared with Yang in which he briefly forgets he is inanimate mirrors the colors Jim notices during the funeral. The motif comes full circle here, as Jim cements his love for Yang and his family, steeped in new awareness.
George’s Flowers
The orchids that George leaves for Yang’s family after his funeral are a symbol of Jim’s lack of comprehension of the world around him. Because George is a large, imposing man, an avid Super Bowl fan, and is raising cloned twins, Jim assumes he cannot understand his plight. Jim underplays his distress and refers to Yang as just a robot in front of George. However, George’s act of kindness proves Jim wrong about his neighbor, as does his suggestion his family pitch in with Mika in Yang’s absence. After placing the flowers behind Yang’s photo—in front of his disembodied voice box—the family says goodbye, which confuses Yang. Jim and Kyra avoid the topic of death and assure Yang they are all together. Whether or not Yang was sentient or understands what is going on after his body’s death are questions that Jim cannot answer. The orchids, sent by the last person he would have expected, are a reminder to him that he understands very little of this world.
Yang’s Collection
The question of Yang’s personhood is a mystery in “Saying Goodbye to Yang.” He is a babysitter for Mika but also her brother, a helper to Jim and Kyra but in some ways their child. However, his personality is programmed, and Jim mentions that he is unable to teach him anything; imparting wisdom as your children grow is a fundamental aspect of parenthood. Jim also recalls the mechanical blush that bloomed on Yang’s face when seemingly going off-script talking about his passion for insects. Yang course-corrected, following up with a preset “Fun Fact,” but Jim seems to question if there is something unique to Yang.
Though Yang merely mirrored Jim’s actions at the baseball game they attended, he did purchase a glove with his allowance afterward. Since he never used it, the glove was not practical, it could be inferred he wanted a memento of his time with Jim. Or was he going through the motions, performing a duty that a son might? When peering into his room before digging the hole for the funeral, Jim is struck by the assortment of butterflies and moths Yang left behind, as well as an inscrutable craft project using matchboxes. Yang’s collection is a symbol of the unknowable depths of his self.
