Knowing that the carp is a symbol in Chinese culture, what can be inferred from this excerpt from Wang's "The Carp"? It is ironic that Confucius' son Carp died an early death. It is mandatory for all new parents to be presented with a carp. It is unfortunate for a man to only have daughters and no sons. It is better to be the son of Confucius than the daughter of a peasant.