People think that we live our lives separately from each other, never thinking that part, of who we are as individuals, comes from our close personal relationships. Grandparents, parents, friends, and even complete strangers all help to contribute in the decisions we make, as well as help shape the reality in which we live in on a daily basis. Gao Xingjian, author of "The Temple", takes us on a journey in understanding the desire for personal growth, freedom and fulfillment. In this descriptive essay, Xiangjian is speaking to a group of people, talking about life and its intricate part of networks of relationships, chosen, and accidental, contemporary, and historical. The relations in this short story seem to challenge the characters because of their perception of what human freedom and happiness means, therefore exposing them to the reality that life is unpredictable and is always changing. The honeymoon experienced between this young couple, encounters with strangers while travelling, the past generations of families and the temple of perfect benevolence teach us that ideas have limitations, and that nothing in life is ever perfect.
             The honeymoon celebrated between Fangfang and her husband, is not only a time of joy because of the love shared between these two, but it's also about the freedom that they are about to embark upon as they leave their countryside status. Set against a background in Communism of past generations, the effects of confinement and hardship still linger on in the couple's lives, and they no longer want to be a part of the strict system in which they have been raised in where the word "freedom" is not really understood. The honeymoon gives them freedom of movement outside of the place in which they want to live in, but their mentality is still confined to a small space. The have left on their honeymoon looking for some notion of absolute tranquility to exist, only to learn...