The sleazy lawyer

Gustavo Quintero
English 48B
March 11. 2008
Journal #40 Sui Sin Far



Quote:
"Oh, well then we won't talk about it, old fellow. It won't harm the boy to stay , where he is, and your wife might get over it all right"(Far 884).



Summary:
This is the lawyer's reaction after Hom Hing has told him that he has no more money. The lawyer is asking for 500 more dollars to complete the process of getting Hing's son back from the U.S. government.



Response:
The lawyer is a greedy and terrible villain in this short story. I can not believe that a man would ask for 500 hundred dollars after already ripping off Hing just so that Hing can get his son back. This is such a disgusting injustice that you have to wonder just how can the lawyer do business with people this way. The above quote does not paint the lawyer in a very flattering light. Take a moment to think about how much 500 dollars is worth during the early 1900's. Adjusted for inflation a conservative guess might be around 10,000 dollars (although I'm sure it's much higher). For the lawyer to call Hing an old man and to basically tell him to shut up really makes him an evil man. I could not live with myself If I treated clients this way. The way the lawyer acts towards Hom Hing and his wife is the way I was expecting the U.S.C. officers to treat Hom Hing and his family. The worst part about this ordeal is that Hom Hing and his wife had to give up numerous pieces of sentimental jewelry that was surly worth much more than 500 Dollars. The ironic part is that the Lawyer does show a little remorse, "He was not a sentimental man; but something within him arose against accepting such payment for his services". This little remorse almost holds not credit to the lawyer's character because he does not finish this job pro bono or for less, he instead takes all the jewelry. I could not imagine taking hordes of jewelry in exchange for the return of your young son. There is just so much wrong about what the lawyer has done. It; very unfortunate that the family has to go through this ordeal of getting their son back while getting ripped off by the lawyer with no heart.