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Stealing is what kept Kong Yiji alive. Although he did have a job copying work because of his calligraphy skills, his reputation depleted due to his constant stealing that resulting in no one hiring him. It seems that stealing was the only thing he "knew"; however, Kong Yiji was actually pretty intelligent but stuck on the wrong path.

This shows the huge wealth gap during this era and how the peasants and workers make a large majority of the community.

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Profiling is still an issue today and will be in the future. At first glance, Kong Yiji is portrayed as an alcoholic beggar that steals in order to survive. He accepts the consequences and is stuck in this cycle. But, throughout the story we learn that Kong Yiji does possess knowledge and skills in calligraphy and writing. If only someone had helped in the right direction he could've passed the exam and build a better life for himself.

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This story displays the sad truth of a life of someone at a disadvantage. Not only is it the system at fault but also the people around him.

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I think Lu Xin is making a satirical point: everyone in the tavern is focused on Kong Yiji's stealing and condemning him for that act. Yet no one questions the problems of the larger class structure and its unfairness
-Greta

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I think Kong Yiji eventually had to steal to survive.

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I think that it shows that if you are poor during that time you do not have the right to education. There are no ways to access books for free like we have today (libraries)

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It's interesting to see how stealing was part of his life. In a way he sometimes didn't consider him self to be stealing especially when stealing books. Amr Aleryani

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it could represent how some people grow up in the upperclass and have the privilege to get an education but not able to find a job after and how that heavily affects ones lifestyle also how education also does not guarantee a good job and does not define someone.

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Much like today, there is a debate over the practical skills one can learn from schooling. Kong Yiji of course learned skills that didn't really help him get far among the working class. For example, we aren't taught how to do taxes. America's tax system is overly complicated and not knowing how to do taxes can cost you money.

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was it seen worse to be a member of the short tailed suits or for Kong Yiji to be a failure in life?

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was it seen worse to be a member of the short tailed suits or for Kong Yiji to be a failure in life?

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I think the major theme of this story  was social class. The upper class and lower class were vastly different from the way to dressed to what they could afford to eat and drink. Sadly Kong Yiji didn't fit into either class because he failed his classical exam yet he was also made fun by the lower class. -Savannah

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Kong Yiji comes off as very  privileged, not even truly acknowledging what he is doing is stealing. Not only does he not show guilt for his theft, there is no evidence that he tried to adapt and find a way out of his situation. Not being used to being a member of the lower class, he seems to have been unable to adapt. His sense of entitlement and his inability to change and adapt led to his downfall.

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I sense different levels of hierarchy in this story. For instance, the tavern owner represents those who look our for themselves more than others. The owner was somewhat kind towards Kong Yiji but didn't do more to help his situation. There was also a few mentions of an exam that Kong Yiji could not pass. It stated that he could not pass the lowest exam. This shows an education gap between civilians and who has access to education.

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I think this story relates to society today because unfortunately social class still creates issues today. People abuse their power to look down on others based on their social class. As for those considered lower class, they might not have the same opportunities as those in the higher class.

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A major theme in this story is the failures of the traditional education system along with how out of touch the upper class is. The things Kong Yiji knew was not useful at all during his time part of the lower class and he could only get a job which used his ability to write. The separation of the classes also show how out of touch the wealthy upper class was from the struggles of the lower class.

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I think the story relates to today's society because it is a social norm for only the higher class to get better opportunities in life even though they don't take their education seriously. While lower class people would enjoy having those opportunities they receive.

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I think a major theme was that you have to fall into a stereotype. If you are going to school you need to graduate (take the test in the story) and if you don't you're considered a drop out and looked down upon.

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The "long coats", or the wealthy upper class, had such prestige that the narrator was not worthy to even serve them.

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The "long coats", or the wealthy upper class, had such prestige that the narrator was not worthy to even serve them.

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-JoshGrothem

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To me, when I see that I think of it as the price of failing. Failing in college, even in the present, shows you in a negative light. You don't get respect and even if you find a job after failing college, odds are you won't get respect. Many retail workers, be it people who failed college or passed but didn't successfully find a better job, are treated with little respect from people of all classes.

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I think that it shows that not everyone is treated equally. If you don't have money you are looked down upon.

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The stealing in the story is not what is typically stolen in class critical stories. Kong Yiji is not stealing food; in fact he is known for repaying his debt to the tavern. He steals books and calligraphy supplies, and he doesn't consider the books as stealing. He might believe that knowledge cannot be stolen or even owned to begin with. He follows the accusation with a comment about a man's integrity even in poverty, so that implies that Kong Yiji values knowledge greatly.
-Savannah B

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The message that stood out to me was that social class divisions lead to a lack of empathy. In a competitive society like in the story, the failure of others may be a success to others. Kong Yiji is consistently battered by the patrons and the narrator, and by the end, no one really cares that he is most likely dead.
-Savannah B

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I think that Kong yiji stealing was not that bad mainly because he was stealing books and if anything it represents that the supplies should be provided that way people wouldn't have to steal them.

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I think this story can relate to todays society in the way that inequality is still a big problem in todays society and in the story.

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The theme that stood out to me was the division between the classes of people

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One theme is that there are different classes in China and that one moment you can be of high class and then the next moment you can be of low class. Also, just how lower class people are treated. Also, Kong Yiji had a lot of pride of his previous high class status and showed it off.

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This story relates today as there is still this class division that happens and the lower class, specifically the poor is looked down upon to the point where cities are trying to get rid of these homeless rather than helping them.