A Wish in the Dark

In Chattana, each prisoner, whether incarcerated by circumstance or condemnation, is branded with a special tattoo bearing the name of their prison. It is inscribed by the Governor’s gold orbs and cannot be removed by anyone but him (42); when prisoners are released, a line is tattooed through it to mark their status. Even after their sentences are served, the prisoners carry the tattoo with them for the rest of their lives. This symbolizes and reinforces that social prejudices against convicts permanently mark and stigmatize them in society. 

For Pong, his prison tattoo is even more than that; it’s a symbol of his own guilt. It reminds him of the past he escaped and of the Governor’s promise that Pong will inevitably return to prison. As Pong looks at his tattoo in Chapter 7 and realizes that there will be no way to disguise his history, it becomes a symbol of shame for him; he realizes he’s a fugitive (42). Initially, Pong covers his tattoo with the white blessing cords he receives from Father Cham; this symbolizes the forgiveness the monk blankets over him.

The prison tattoo ultimately symbolizes Pong’s ability to accept his darkness. Father Cham tells him in Chapter 13 that he did not remove Pong’s tattoo because someday Pong might need it. This foreshadows Pong’s epiphany in Chapter 40. He realizes that he was mistaken about the kind of freedom he seeks, because it is impossible to entirely cast off one’s darkness; however, that need not extinguish one’s ability to “shine a light” (324). Pong learns that darkness is not innately bad, and carrying the metaphorical darkness of past wrongdoings does not diminish his ability to be good. Just as Father Cham foretells that Pong’s tattoo will come in handy one day—which it does in Chapter 44, when Pong uses it to get the police’s attention (345)—Pong’s metaphorical darkness serves him when he realizes that he can use it to learn how to shine a light for others.

At the end of the novel, Pong’s prison tattoo, along with those of Nok, Somkit, and every other present or former prisoner of Chattana, disappears when they reclaim the Governor’s gold light. In fact, as Pong and his friends hold the gold light in Chapter 47, it enters their bodies and streams out through their tattoos (361). This represents the lesson Pong learned: The symbol of darkness, of shame, becomes a vessel for an indefatigable light. The climax of the plot centers on the revelation of redemption and the individual’s ability to shine their own light. Pong’s losing his prison tattoo after he gains this understanding reinforces the power of accepting darkness in enabling growth.

The juxtaposition between light and dark features prominently in the novel. Both the settings and the characters are imbued with it. The juxtaposition is first noticeable in Chapter 2 when Pong and Somkit look at the lights of Chattana from outside the prison. Pong notices how bright Chattana is in comparison to the darkness of Namwon and wonders, “How could fairness find its way to them through all that darkness?” (9). Light represents justice and goodness; the dark of Namwon is injustice and harsh living. This establishes a binary that directs Pong’s life and his self-image in the rest of the novel.

When the Governor tells Pong in Chapter 5 that those who came from darkness will eventually return to it (28), he immediately understands that the Governor is referring to him and that the circumstances of his birth condemn him to darkness for the rest of his life. Once the Governor’s words take root, Pong thinks that the lights of Chattana “only made Namwon seem darker” (29): “It didn’t matter what he and Somkit did or how old they got. They would be in the dark wherever they went” (29). The binary between light and dark characterizes Pong’s world: He is unambiguously right or wrong, unequivocally condemned to either light or dark. 

This binary is resolved thematically within Pong’s character arc. Pong spends the rest of the novel trying to run from darkness; because he so strongly associates it with injustice and crime, he has no space in his worldview for a balanced, nuanced understanding of the dichotomy, despite having already noticed that light sometimes casts long shadows, both metaphorically and literally. He is convinced of his own darkness; this is apparent in Chapter 28 when he tells Ampai that when things are broken, there is no way to make them good (215). Pong thinks that freedom is attainable only if he can escape the darkness entirely. However, he realizes in Chapter 40, “You can’t run away from darkness […] It’s everywhere. The only way to see through it is to shine a light” (324). Pong realizes that the Governor reinforces this dichotomy because he can utilize it to enforce his authority. Ultimately, Pong learns that darkness is ubiquitous, and there is no running from it; instead, one must accept it and face it, thereby revealing one’s own potential to be the light within it.

Wishes are a motif throughout the novel and lend significance to its title. In the narrative, wishes are not simply desires; they are intention, blessing, and power. Most of the wishes originate from Father Cham, who possesses the ability to make them come true. He bestows his special wishes in the form of a red-and-gold bound cord that grants the wearer a special ability. Three significant characters receive such blessings from Father Cham: Pong, for whom he wishes success in his eternal search for freedom (111); Ampai, for whom he wishes unwavering courage (218); and the Governor, for whom he wishes the ability to restore light to Chattana (319).

In the Governor’s case, Father Cham’s wish creates a magical, light-bringing power; however, following the Governor’s tyrannical abuse of this power, Father Cham adapts his blessings. He claims that his wish for the Governor stemmed from his own arrogant belief that he could change the world with the power of his wishes (95). Following the disaster with the Governor, the focus of Father Cham’s blessings shifts to improving the life of the individual, rather than attempting to change the world at large. For Pong’s and Ampai’s wishes, Father Cham merely enhances the gifts that they already possessed, such as Pong’s observational skills and Ampai’s fortitude. Father Cham’s wishes recognize the power of the individual to affect change on a smaller level, within themselves and the lives of those around them.

Later in the novel, the wish motif reflects both on Pong’s wish for freedom and on Father Cham’s wish for him, which guides Pong throughout the novel. Pong receives this wish on Father Cham’s deathbed in Chapter 15, but he doesn’t realize its true meaning until Chapter 40. There, Pong realizes that he cannot escape from darkness, nor does he have to; he finds the light to combat it within himself. The true role of wishes in the narrative is to grant the characters purpose and clarity, enabling them to recognize their own ability to affect change in themselves and the world around them.