My Life in China and America · Chapter
VII: Effort to Find a Position explained
Yung Wing, after mastering the spoken language, seeks a position that will allow him to support his mother and work toward reforming China.
What happens
Yung Wing, after mastering the spoken language, seeks a position that will allow him to support his mother and work toward reforming China. He briefly serves as private secretary to Dr. Peter Parker, then moves to Hong Kong to study law, but faces opposition from British attorneys and the attorney-general. He then goes to Shanghai, where he works in the Imperial Customs Translating Department, but resigns after discovering a system of graft among interpreters and shippers, valuing his integrity over a higher salary.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
Yung Wing’s emotional peak is the collision between his personal honor—the joint ministership to Washington—an…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Corruption and Personal Integrity
Yung Wing resigns from the Customs Service rather than participate in bribery, valuing a clean record over a high salary.
- Education as a Tool for National Reform
Yung Wing's education drives his desire to make a difference in China, seeking positions that allow him to work toward reform.
- The West as Model and Mentor
Yung Wing's experiences with Western institutions, such as studying law in Hong Kong, reflect the influence of Western models on his aspirations.
Characters to notice
- Yung Wing
Narrator and protagonist, seeking a position to support his mother and pursue his reform ideas.
- Dr. Parker
United States Commissioner who hires Yung Wing as private secretary for three months.
- Andrew Shortrede
Old friend who provides hospitality and helps Yung Wing secure the interpretership in Hong Kong Supreme Court.
- Mr. Parson
Attorney to whom Yung Wing apprentices, but later terminates the apprenticeship under pressure.
- Captain Dumaresque
Captain of the tea clipper Florence, offers Yung Wing a free passage from Hong Kong to Shanghai.
Key passages
“He little thought that I had aspirations even higher than his, and that I did not care to associate myself with a pack of Customhouse interpreters and inspectors, who were known to take bribes; that a man who expects others to respect him, must first respect himself.”
The commissioner did not realize that Yung Wing had ambitions beyond his own, and that he refused to be part of a corrupt system, believing that self-respect is essential for earning respect from others.
Yung Wing explains his motivation for resigning from the Customs Service.
“I had a clean record and I meant to keep it clean.”
Yung Wing was determined to maintain his integrity and avoid any taint of corruption.
Emphasizes his commitment to personal integrity.
