Category: Uncategorized (Page 1 of 3)

Teresa Lopez Ramos 

ENG 2001

Professor Sean Scanlan 

December 14, 2020

            Ethics is defined as a set of moral principles, especially one relating to or affirming a specified group, field or form of conduct. In other words, ethics help us assess what is good or bad and how they also assess our choices, behavior, who we are, etc. What we have learned this semester is that there are five different types of ethics, Deontology ethics (rules that guide and assess our choices of what we should do), Virtue ethics (what sort of person should I be and how should I live), Utilitarian ethics (morally right action is the action that produces the most good), Feminist ethics (to revise, reformulate, rethink traditional ethics to the extent it devalues women’s moral experience), and global ethics (addressing ethical questions and problems emerged of global interconnection and interdependence of the world’s population). In “A Good Fall” written by Ha Jin; helps us answer the question of “Does a character (or characters) act to help others or herself or nobody?” “Does a character follow a strict set of rules or break away from established rules?” “What forces are acting upon a character to act/react in a certain way?”, when we met characters like Ganchin and Master Zong. 

“A Good Fall” written by Ha Jin happens to be one of my favorite stories not because it is easy to understand this story; but its plot is in comparison to today’s society towards immigrants. The story details of a man Ganchin, a Chinese immigrant monk who works for Master Zong. Master Zong also a monk who defy’s the monks disciplinary code by having a midnight blue BMW, and has a house in Syosset with a woman and a baby. As Ganchin collapses when teaching his Kung Fu class due to his unnamed illness and which results in days of missing work which doesn’t go unnoticed. Master Zong fires  Ganchin due to the excuse of not being to renew Ganchin visa and as well not paying him the fifteen hundred dollars a month salary that was included in the contract. Leaving him with no money that he was promised from the temple, no passport, no visa, and house; Ganchin is left stressed out. Ganchin tries to survive in New York by living with an acquaintance Fanku and tries to ask him for a loan however it doesn’t go well due to Fanku has his own financial stress. Ganchin goes back to the temple to negotiate with Master Zong; Master Zong repeats himself by saying that the temple doesn’t owe Ganchin anything and threatening him to go back to China. Ganchin ends up kidnapped and forced to board a plane back home; making Ganchin run away to Flushing, Queens. He ends up at Teng’s Garden, being helped by a man who convinces Ganchin be positive and also fed him a hot meal. Even though Ganchin finds a good man who helps him without a need to be given a thank you, Ganchin does try to commit suicide. Ganchin’s suicide attempt became news in the Chinese communities throughout the country and reported by small new organizations; many charities help Ganchin by paying his medical bills, Teng’s Garden getting some recognition, Gaolin Temple now being know for exploiting their young monks and pocketing their salaries. Ganchin as well decides to get help from attorney to become a permanent resident; however the attorney tells him his options are to apply for political asylum or marry a citizen/legal resident. At the end, Ganchin makes a realization that he can no longer become a monk and become a private citizen. This story  embodies the very definition of globalization; referring to the multidimensional and uneven intensification of social relations and consciousness across world-time and world-space. Like there are five types of ethics; there are also four major forms of globalization. In “A Good Fall” – the story presents the first social form embodied globalization, which involves the movement of people across our planet (contemporary movement of refugees, migrants, travelers, entrepreneurs, temporary workers, tourists, etc.) when Master Zong (head of Gaolin Temple) and the missionary that Ganchin is involved with to help him come to the United States. As well as the second form disembodied globalization, characterized by the extension of social relations through the movement of immaterial things and processes (words, images, text, crypto-currencies).

 The most important decision of this story is in the beginning of the story. Master Zong (head of Gaolin Temple)  fires Ganchin due to the temple’s inability acquiring his visa; Ganchin is surprised that before his contract ends he is fired. What is more surprising to Ganchin is once he asks for his agreed salary of fifteen hundred dollars a month between himself and the temple it is denied. Master Zong tells Ganchin “We’ve provided lodging and board for you. This is New York, where everything’s expensive. As a matter of fact we paid you a lot more than fifteen hundred a month.” (Jin 345). The Gaolin Temple is an organization and institution (organization-extended globalization); the work that they are doing is bringing monks from China to work and spread the message of the temple to New York City. Master Zong, a head monk of this institution; his decision is based on utilitarian ethics that he follows. Defined as morally right actions that produces the most good ( right actions makes the most good). Master Zong helped this young monk come to this country; provisions of food, a room, and a job so Ganchin would be able to send money back to his family- an example of right actions helping a young immigrant to his feet. The positive end at the time was Ganchin worked, helped Master Zong during Kung Fu classes to spread their religion towards members of the Chinese community in New York City. Another example of utilitarian ethics in this story “I can’t let you have your papers if you stay on illegally. From now on you’re on your own, and you must move tomorrow. I don’t care where you go. Your visa has expired and you’re already an illegal alien, a lawbreaker.”(Jin 345).  Ganchin visa is expired, Master Zong has no choice to fire him. His right action is to fire him which will create positive ends of not being known for hitting immigrants. Even though Master Zong; takes advantage of his workers, lives like a CEO, and threatens those who don’t follow simple directions – his ethics of right actions produces the most good for his own self interest.  

The second important decision of this story in when Ganchin tires commits suicide. Ganchin ran away from Master Zong and his men from the airport and finds himself back in Flushing in Teng’s Garden. A man who owns Teng’S Garden gives Ganchin a meal and advice to continue living. Ganchin continues to commit suicide and once he does he ends up with a lot of pain. Ganchin’s suicide attempt became news in the Chinese communities throughout the country and reported by small new organizations; many charities helps Ganchin by paying his medical bills, Teng’s Garden getting some recognition, Gaolin Temple now being know for exploiting their young monks and pocketing their salaries. Ganchin as well decides to get help from attorney to become a permanent resident; “Now there’ll be ways for you to avoid deportation- you can apply for political asylum, or marry a citizen or a legal resident. You know, you’ll be rich, bit no filthy rich like a millionaire who doesn’t have to work.” “I guess I’m not a monk anymore, and no temple will ever take me in.” “That also means you’re free to date a girl.” Cindy giggle “Well, I hope that’s something I can learn.” Ganchin gazed at her and smiled (Jin 357). At the end of the story, Ganchin changes his ethics from deontology to utilitarian. Utilitarian, again is right actions makes the most good.  At the final scene of this story, he now realizes that he can no longer be a monk and is free to make his own decision without breaking rules that were placed upon him due to his religion. His good/moral action is to get married to U.S. Citizen so he can no longer  be at risk to be deported and his perfect end or in which benefits him the most is that he is able to learn to fall in love.Ganchin followed the example of deontology ethics  “If worse comes to worst, you should consider marrying a woman, a U.S. citizen.” She snickered, gazing at his lean face, her big eyes warm and brave. But he said, “I’m a monk and can’t think of anything like that.” Ganchin follows deontology ethics; defined as domain of rules that guide and asses our choices of what we ought do. Due to his religion, he was the prefect monk; had no money (they are not allowed to have money), not and never in love, doesn’t not ask for help but given and etc. Cindy a young woman who clearly is interested in him. He ignores this type of demonstration due to his inability of getting married because of his religious standing, though at the end of the story he decides to give this type of relationship a go.

The story clearly shows a clear representation of utilitarian ethics; although Ganchin is clear representation of a man who follows the rules as a guide of what he does in his life and Master Zong a self interest man who chose what was right. This story depicts how sometimes certain circumstances will make us self-interest people. 

Work Citied

Jin, H. (2009). A Good Fall. Retrieved December 14, 2020, from https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/scanlan-eng2000-globalization-s2013/files/2011/06/AGoodFall-Globalization.pdf

Scanlan, S. (2020). Five-Type-of-Ethics. Retrieved December 14, 2020, from https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/profscanlan-english2001-fiction-f2020/files/2020/11/Five-types-of-Ethics-fall-2020.docx

Steger, M. (2020). Https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/profscanlan-english2001-fiction-f2020/files/2020/11/Steger-Globalization-Definition.pdf. Retrieved December 14, 2020, from https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/profscanlan-english2001-fiction-f2020/files/2020/11/Steger-Globalization-Definition.pdf