Coincidence or Fate
The main character, Yu Tsun is a man who believes in fate. He developed his plan of relaying secret message to his German chief in ten minuets, by looking through the telephone directory. He perceives Richard Madden as "implacable" (89) and considers the future as a fact as "irrevocable as the past". When Richard was unable to catch up with Yu Tsun because he missed the train, Yu Tsun feels that "I had won the first encounter by besting my adversary in his first attack... by an accident of fate. I argued that so small a victory prefigured a total victory." His faith in fate basically motivates him to take the sole chance to complete his mission.
As the story develops, the idea of fatalism is tested. Dr. Stephen Albert is the unfortunate guy randomly chosen by Yu Tsun only because of his name "Albert". However, it is hard to believe Yu's choice is merely a coincidence when it turns out that Dr. Albert is a sinologist who is studying Yu's great grandfather's novel and labyrinth. The interpretation about the work of Ts'ui Pen given by Dr. Albert emphasizes on the infinity of time which states that at any bifurcation of time, all possible outcomes are destined to occur in alternative universes. Such interpretation seems to suggest that Yu Tsun is destined to fulfill his mission by killing Stephen Albert. At least Yu Tsun eventually proves that he is fated by not hesitating to shoot Albert with the only bullet he has. Albert thereby dies in a similar fashion as Ts'ui Pen, "assassinated by a stranger" (93). It all seems to be a joke made by "fate".
As the story develops, the idea of fatalism is tested. Dr. Stephen Albert is the unfortunate guy randomly chosen by Yu Tsun only because of his name "Albert". However, it is hard to believe Yu's choice is merely a coincidence when it turns out that Dr. Albert is a sinologist who is studying Yu's great grandfather's novel and labyrinth. The interpretation about the work of Ts'ui Pen given by Dr. Albert emphasizes on the infinity of time which states that at any bifurcation of time, all possible outcomes are destined to occur in alternative universes. Such interpretation seems to suggest that Yu Tsun is destined to fulfill his mission by killing Stephen Albert. At least Yu Tsun eventually proves that he is fated by not hesitating to shoot Albert with the only bullet he has. Albert thereby dies in a similar fashion as Ts'ui Pen, "assassinated by a stranger" (93). It all seems to be a joke made by "fate".
The idea of fate can explain Tsun's luck in completing his mission and his discovery of the Garden of Forking Paths. In addition to the characters behaving conveniently, they also suggest that they are aware of their "destiny." Tsun wonders if Madden could have used divination to learn Tsun's plan, and Albert states at least twice that in some versions of reality, he and Tsun are enemies. Is there any way that Albert could have known what was going on?
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