Thesis: Instead, necessity may coerce an individual to take an action that reason demands; in other words, necessity might create opportunities. Ding Liang finds himself in such a situation, and the reason why his actions are admirable to the reader is that Ding finds opportunities and fortune in the necessity of the Communist political situation.

Niccolo Machiavelli has said that necessity is a virtue. Necessity arises out of the political circumstances in which an individual finds himself; the hostile climate of a fascist government can force an idealistic member of the press corps to limit his speech, out of interest for his life or his family's future. Machiavelli believes that this force is a factor determining actions but outside of a person's control. However, in Machiavelli's view necessity is not just a hostile force that makes man's actions purely automatic. Instead, necessity may coerce an individual to take an action that reason demands; in other words, necessity might create opportunities. Ding Liang finds himself in such a situation, and the reason why his actions are admirable to the reader is that Ding finds opportunities and fortune in the necessity of th

All of these events fall in line with the concept of necessity, and the results of his actions demonstrate the fact that he finds fortune and opportunities in the face of this ineluctable force. The necessity that Ding faces is two-fold: first, he must support his family by maintaining his political position or be promoted to another, more prestigious post; second, to do fulfill the first task, he must balance his filial ties with his obligations to the Communist Party. In line with this balancing act, the false account of his mother's cremation is meant to demonstrate not only his devotion to the Party (which he does when he agrees to cremate his mother), but also his love and support of his mother's wishes. And though the latter is patently false, Ding still shows that he is devoted to the survival of his family, at the cost of breaking his promise to his diseased mother. The ends justify the means, and the means are ultimately viewed as harmless to the family's love for one another.

Ultimately, Ding's mastery of the situation reveals his deep-seated realism, and his gift to turn seemingly detrimental circumstances into beneficial results. Again, necessity forces Ding to take an action that reason demands; in other words, necessity creates an opportunity to succeed. Ding Liang finds himself in such a situation, and the reason why his actions are admirable to the reader is that Ding finds opportunities and fortune in the necessity of the moment. Though Ding makes sacrifices that might seem questionable at first, the necessity of the situation dictates the actions. And even though the reader and Ding's family might not realize it at first, the actions do indeed bring about fortunate events and good-will. The immediate effects of his negative actions evolve into positive ones in the long-run, and his foresight re

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Approximate Word count = 1236
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)