The Poppy War: A Story that Questions Morality in 2020 by Janhvi

The Poppy War: A Story that Questions Morality in 2020 by Janhvi - October 2020 Scholarship Essay

The Poppy War by RF Kuang, a grimdark military fantasy, has been one of the most brutal books I’ve read, yet its realism in terms of human nature is enthralling. Over the course of the novel, the author takes the main character Rin, a strong-willed war orphan, on a journey from her poverty-stricken life at home preparing for a test to enter Sinegard, a top-class military school. She believes entrance will solve everything, but upon arrival, she faces other issues including racism and sexism; despite this, under her teacher Master Jiang, she learns the art of shamanism, which gives her the power to control fire. When a warring nation strikes back after years, Rin and her peers are thrust from their school to the battlefields. I won’t spoil the story, but her experiences are equally shocking, heartbreaking, and horrifying.

One of the most interesting aspects of the novel is how Rin grapples with power and morality throughout her development as the main character. Knowledge is displayed as a source of power; Rin gains the ability to change her situation only through the relentless pursuit of knowledge in her studies for the challenging entrance exam to Sinegard. However, what is perhaps more significant is her resolve: in her preparation, she forced herself to continue by dripping hot candle wax on her arm to burn herself and stay awake. While some may consider this level of determination excessively brutal, it introduces the nuances of Rin’s character by depicting her as someone willing to cross the line if it means reaching her goals. This foreshadows her ambiguous morals later when she goes to extremes just to keep her power.

Along similar lines, her education also illustrates this fascinating connection between knowledge and power. While a lack of awareness limits most people, Rin has gained this insight through years of patience and lessons under Master Jiang. Despite this, the author also presents a sort of Achilles' heel to their knowledge: those who learn shamanic ways are doomed to go mad when their powers ultimately overtake their sense of humanity. Through this, Kuang makes a point about how knowledge has a limit to its benefits; too much truth is bound to hurt someone. This idea of every strength coming with a cost is applied when she gains her shamanic abilities as well. In order to use her power, sacrifice is necessary. The consequences are direr when considering that it isn’t just her who pays the price; her loved ones must do the same. Later on, however, her pursuit of power appears to change by becoming less for the sake of satisfying her desire for power and more to feed the anger she feels as a result of the losses she has experienced. Her actions seem paradoxical because they are driven by her sense of morality, and yet in practice, they are absolutely immoral. This goes to show an interesting idea -- that justice and morality are not always in accordance, especially when studying acts of revenge.

While Rin’s development as a character was my favorite part, the underlying ideas presented in the book resonated with me because of what they imply about many people’s struggle to reconcile their morals with their ambitions, a common defense mechanism. Rin is not necessarily presented as a villain, but she does exemplify realistic human characteristics. Like many people, Rin attempts to justify her wrongs to herself in order to maintain her fuel to strive. This illustrates that while the perseverance needed to reach goals serves as a source of steady motivation, it can also blind people and prevent them from making respectable decisions. To me, this is especially important considering its implications in both high school and the real world. In order to be successful, students are willing to bend their ethics and cheat to get ahead. While they may be able to rationalize their choices, losing academic integrity will ultimately harm them in their future careers and even in their relationships. However, their Poppy present convictions prevent them from recognizing long-term effects. Similarly, many authorities resort to corrupt methods such as blackmail and bribery to gain power, which in their eyes is success. However, this harms not only society overall but also themselves by tarnishing their character irreversibly. Character paves the path to personal achievement, so without it, these people are bound to face the consequences.

The book is also important to me because it is scattered with history that is both eye-opening and overwhelming. Overall, the book is based off the opioid crisis and the Second Sino-Japanese War from 20th century China, but the details are what capture the message. One extreme scene actually reflects the Rape of Nanjing, and another chapter is based off human testing from Unit 731 of the Japanese army. According to the author, Rin herself is inspired by Mao Zedong, making for a complex protagonist rather than the standard literary hero. This book does so much more than tell Rin’s journey; it exposes the atrocities people are willing to commit when there is an imbalance of power and helps us remember the forgotten stories of victims. By garnering social awareness, this book makes an impact that surpasses the story itself.

Overall, it’s quite different from other books I’ve read in the past, but the unique perspective it has given me has made it undoubtfully the best book I’ve read in 2020.