Chueh-hsin is the most successful character in this novel. Because he is the eldest son, he always takes "non-resistance" to maintain the "harmony" of this big family with four generations under one roof. He had a wonderful love affair with his cousin Mei, but in this big feudal family, it was impossible for them to make a decision to get married. His father kissed him, but he didn't resist, only silently accepted everything his father arranged for him. Although his heart was very painful, he dared not say a word "no", so he married his wife Rui Yu. After her grandfather died, Mrs. Chen refused to let Ruiyu have a baby at home on the grounds of "blood shortage" and asked Chueh-hsin to send her out of the city. It was a bolt from the blue for Chueh-hsin, but he accepted it. As a result, feudal superstition swallowed her life. Before that, his cousin Mei died of depression. However, for all these tragedies, he was powerless to resist and was willing to continue to live an "old-fashioned" life painfully.
Another typical character in the novel, Chueh-hsin's younger brother Chueh-hui, has a completely different personality from his older brother. This novel typically depicts Chueh-hui, a bold and naive rebel. He took an active part in the anti-imperialist and anti-feudal activities organized by the Student Union and lashed out at feudal families. On the issue of marriage, he dared to break through the feudal hierarchy and resolutely fell in love with the girl Ming-feng. He also dares to resist the superstitious behavior of his elders, such as playing tricks. Finally, he walked out of the family without hesitation.
Home also focuses on several unfortunate female images & Mei, Mingfeng and Jui-chueh. Although these three women have different personalities-Mei is melancholy, Jui-chueh is virtuous, and Ming-feng is kind but gentle and firm; Their social status is different, but the tragic ending is the same. Through the description of the tragic experiences of these women, the work further accuses the feudal ethics of persecuting the weak, the innocent and the kind, and strengthens the theme of the book.
Home is an excellent work that fully embodies Ba Jin's creative achievements and style, and it fully shows Ba Jin's outstanding achievements in the field of modern literary novel creation.
——— Chueh-hsin's tragedy
Chueh-hsin is a very important figure in Mr. Ba Jin's Home, and also a very distinctive figure. Mr. Ba Jin once said, "I should spend more ink on Chueh-hsin." It can be seen that Chueh-hsin's weight and decisive position in the author's mind.
You can simply analyze the image of Chueh-hsin. Chueh-hsin's personality can be divided into two stages. The first stage is that he grows up until he graduates from middle school. At this stage, Chueh-hsin has not felt the cruelty of fate, and he is so outstanding. "He was born with a handsome face and was very smart since he was a child. He is loved by his parents at home and praised by his husband in private schools ... He grew up in a loving environment ... He was an excellent student in middle school ... He is very interested in chemistry, and he plans to go to a famous university in Shanghai or Beijing to continue his research after graduation. He also wants to study in Germany. " He grew up in a rich environment and looked forward to a bright future. As written in the book: "His mind is full of many beautiful fantasies. During that time, he was the most envied person of ordinary students. " If there is no big change, Chueh-min will step by step towards his ideal and embark on the smooth road of life.
But fate played a cruel joke on her at this time, and his future changed forever. After graduating from high school, Chueh-hsin entered the second stage of his life. Because of the contradiction between the elders at the mahjong table, he lost his childhood friend and married a woman he didn't know. But this marriage was decided by drawing lots, and this absurd practice changed his life. Studying abroad has also vanished. Then he lived the life that a gentleman should have under the arrangement of his father and began to assume the responsibilities that a gentleman should have. He is not a playboy who only knows how to eat, drink and be merry, but tries to support this family after his father died. Although his shoulders are still so immature, he has been deprived of his youth. He had to face the intrigue of his extended family. "Many visible and invisible arrows began to shoot at him." "Beneath the surface of peace and love, he saw hatred and struggle, and he himself became the target of people's attacks." At first, he didn't choose silence. "He was angry, he struggled, and he thought his behavior was justified. However, the result of the struggle only brought him more trouble and more enemies. " His struggle is fruitless, but it will drag him more tired. So he chose to perfunctory his family. "He sacrificed part of his time to please them, just for a few days of quiet life." He scraped along and gave up his dream. Only when he had children did he see hope and future. However, it is inevitable that he will have to deal with that big family. He adopted "bowing down" and "non-resistance". In fact, this is not his original intention, but his helplessness in the complicated family struggle. Chueh-hsin's tragedy unfolded in this helplessness.
Chueh-hsin's tragedy was not caused by him alone, but by the whole family and society.
The first is Chueh-hsin's own reasons. In the face of things, he chose to escape, too much patience and too much obedience. Even if you sacrifice yourself and your loved ones, you should follow the old traditions. For this reason, his dream of studying abroad was shattered. His beloved Mei married someone else, and finally his beloved wife died in the suburbs. Even before her death, they didn't see each other for the last time. Chueh-hsin once lamented: "We live in such an era that we are only qualified to sacrifice." But his unprincipled obedience sacrificed not only his own happiness, but also the happiness of others and even his life. This is a complete sign of cowardice. "He doesn't say a word of resistance", if it is out of helplessness, then "no resistance" is entirely because of his cowardly character, which is undoubtedly at the mercy of his family. Chueh-hsin's tragedy and his own cowardice are unshirkable responsibilities.
Second, family reasons. First, Chueh-hsin's family status. As the eldest son of the family, he was destined to shoulder the heavy responsibility of the whole family from birth. He is the future of the whole family, and he carries the hope of the family. Family is the center of his whole life, and everything he does should be family-oriented. Therefore, it is difficult for him to look at the whole society, and he will not fight against the evils of society. This special position doomed him not to be as radical as Chueh-hui and not to fight bravely. Second, the ideological roots of Chueh-hsin. This stems from the first point. As the eldest son and grandson of a big feudal family, he is naturally expected to receive a good education, which is also a kind of feudal moral education. The Confucian concept of filial piety has naturally been integrated into his blood. This also put a heavy yoke on him ideologically. In his mind, he doesn't just live for himself, he lives for the whole family. Completely slaves to feudal ethics. Obey the rules of the eldest son. He has completely become a puppet, being played and manipulated, with no mind and no soul.
Finally, social reasons. In the era of the disintegration of feudal society, feudal families like Gao were doomed to decay. The gradual corruption of the family made Chueh-hsin realize that the old tradition it adhered to could no longer support the family, and the great realistic pressure made Chueh-hsin confused. He always thought that the feudal order was unshakable, so he had to stick to it in the chaotic situation.
Chueh-hsin is a man between the old and new systems, and his contradictory situation also causes his contradictory personality.
Chueh-hsin accepted the concept of traditional feudal ethics from childhood, which was completely inherited from his grandfather and father. At the same time, he is in a period of social transformation and is eager to read progressive publications with his younger brothers. "Every night, he and his two brothers take turns reading these books and newspapers, and even the communication bar won't let go easily. They sometimes discuss various issues mentioned in these books and newspapers. " Although his thoughts were not as radical as those of Chueh-min and Chueh-hui, and he was called a supporter of "Liu Bannong's Bowism" and often said that he liked Tolstoy's "non-resistance", his thoughts had gone beyond the feudal ethics, which was a great progress. In this way, he can "combine the theory of" New Youth "with the reality of their big family without conflict. This gave him comfort, so that on the one hand, he was convinced of the new theory, on the other hand, he was in line with the life in the old environment and did not feel contradictory. " It is in this contradiction that he seeks the intersection of ideal and reality. Perhaps only in this way can he find his young heart and not get old too early.
Chueh-hsin's greatest sorrow is the departure of two beloved people.
When he came to Mei's bed and watched her "lying quietly on the bed, eyes closed slightly, hair floating on the pillow, thin face as white as paper", what would his heart feel? Sad? Regret? Sad? But all this is of no help, and nothing can save the fallen young life. Who can accompany lonely people to live alone in a lonely and deserted temple?
What was Jui-chueh's mood when her voice flew into his ear from the window? A dilapidated wooden door finally separated them and never met each other until death. What kind of pain did he feel when he roared outside the door? Two dilapidated wooden doors finally "stopped the last love".
Chueh-hsin regretted it. "What really took away his wife was another thing, the whole system, the whole ethics, the whole superstition. All this is on his shoulders, making him bear the pressure for many years, depriving him of his youth, his happiness, his future and the two women he loves. He is beginning to feel too burdened now. He wants to give up. He is struggling. " If this is an ideology, then he can be called practicing this consciousness by helping Chueh-hui leave home. He truly felt that "this family needs a traitor" and sincerely hoped that this decadent family would change.
The typical image of Chueh-min reveals the tragedy that a cowardly individual was destroyed under the oppression of feudal ethics and eventually ruined the happiness of himself and others. He formed a sharp contrast with Chueh-hui, and also showed people a contradiction in their hearts under the background of the alternation of old and new times.
Thinking about home
When I was very young, I read Home, one of the torrent trilogy written by Mr. Ba Jin. When you grow up, read this book if you have nothing to do.
Home has created many typical images with skillful artistic techniques. Every image is flesh and blood, with distinct personality and lifelike.
There are about 70 characters in the novel, including an overbearing and aging old man, a dissolute and cruel hypocrite Feng Leshan, a corrupt wuye Ding Ke, a heroic girl Feng Ming who dares to resist feudal autocracy, a docile and kind-hearted Mei Fen, a kind-hearted granddaughter Rui Yu and so on. And Chueh-hui, Chueh-min, Qin and other young people who are influenced by new ideas and long for freedom and equality and rebel images. In fact, the book Home is about the course of a generation of young people during the period of social upheaval in China. Chueh-hsin, Chueh-min and Chueh-hui represent three different personalities. They come from a big family with four generations living under one roof. Because of different personalities, the trajectory of life is completely different.
Chueh-hui should be a typical figure of a representative new youth in Mr. Ba Jin's works. Ba Jin once wrote in the preface of the tenth edition: "A traitor to the old ethics, a naive but bold traitor. I want to pin my hopes on him and let him bring us some fresh air. We suffocated in that old family. " Chueh-hui is such a figure. He has new ideas and sees the disadvantages of society. He opposed the old moral norms. At the same time, he is also very naive. However, he dared to resist, and finally broke free from the shackles of the feudal ethical code family and entered the new life he longed for by riding the green water flowing eastward.
There is also a particularly striking atmosphere in the book: the colors of youth shine everywhere. This simple and natural environment is written by the author himself: "Eternal life is in the youthful Yuan Ye", "I will always remember that youth is a beautiful thing. It has always been my inspiration. "
Mr. Ba Jin's Home is a microcosm of the society at that time. The children at home represent all kinds of people in society. For example, the overbearing, aging and decadent supreme ruler of Gaos thought. He represents corrupt and greedy officials in government agencies. Those officials depend on their official positions to dominate the people at will. Invisibly, people have an aversion to him and pose an invisible threat to him. There are also corrupt officials like the cunning and greedy grandpa four, Kean, who use their cleverness to "squeeze money" from the public unscrupulously. Bribery is everything. There are also teenagers in society who are like corrupt black sheep and indulge in the virtual world of the internet all day. They are willing to degenerate because they can't bear the pressure from all aspects of society. Although there are so many "dark clouds", they can never hide the brilliance of the "sun".
In a word, the work Home, from the ideological content, made an angry accusation against the feudal ethics and feudal autocracy that destroyed people's youth and life, gave infinite sympathy to those who suffered and struggled under the weight of feudal ethics and eventually became victims, and paid great respect to those who struggled for a free life.
This society is always progressing, and it will not stop because of the shackles of non-progress, nor can it stop; Nothing can stop the trend of the times. On the way through, it will spray just the right spray, forming a torrent that will overwhelm the mountains and rush to the only current.
Home is Ba Jin's masterpiece.
In the history of modern literature in China, Ba Jin is a literary giant with enthusiasm, progressive ideas and unique artistic style. From 65438 to 0928, Ba Jin, who lived in France, finished his first novel Death in Paris. Since then, he has successively created a series of novels, short stories and novellas with outstanding influence in the history of modern literature.
The 1930s was the first peak of Ba Jin's novel creation. During this period, he has successively completed such novels as Dead Day, Underwater Dream, Satin, Autumn in Spring, Snow (i.e. Germination), New Life, Love Trilogy (Fog, Rain and Electricity) and Riptide Trilogy. Among these works, Riptide Trilogy represents the highest achievement of his creation at this time. In 1930s, Ba Jin also wrote a large number of short stories, including Revenge, Lamp, Electric Chair, Rag, General, Silence, Ghosts, Men, Sinking, The Story of Hair and so on. Ba Jin's short stories have a wide range of themes, involving life. They widely reflected the social reality at that time and poured out the voices of the people; Some works also show the lives of foreign people.
During the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression period, Ba Jin was mainly engaged in the anti-Japanese and national salvation work in the cultural circles in the rear area. In the 1940s, his novel creation reached the second peak. During this period, his influential novels included Trilogy of Anti-Japanese War, Fire, Resting Garden, Sick Room No.4, Cold Night, and more than 70 short stories. Among them, Cold Night is the most successful work written by Ba Jin in the 1940s, which indicates the further maturity of the author's writing skills.
Home is the first novel Riptide Trilogy written by Ba Jin in 1930s. Since the publication of 193 1, it has been attracting readers with its unique anti-feudal brilliance and touching artistic charm, and occupies an important position in the history of modern literature in China.
The novel "Home" is set in Chengdu, Sichuan, a city in Chinese mainland in the early 1920s, and truly describes the history of the decline and rout of the Gaos, a representative feudal family. The gaos thought in his works is the epitome of China's feudal society and family system. On the surface, the Gaos thought is that "the whole family is educated and polite, and everything goes smoothly", and the family is respectful and orderly, with strict manners and laws; But in fact, this big family is full of fierce intrigue and intrigue. In order to compete for property, Mrs. Chen, Kean, etc. In the name of maintaining family honor and grandpa Gao, he did everything he could. First they made a "ghost" to scare the old man to death, and then they made a "blood avoidance" to kill Jui-chueh. They clearly knew that the scuffle between warlords led to the destruction of the shopping mall, but they forced Chueh-hsin to compensate for the loss of the stock. They broke up before the old man's bones were cold. In addition, this extravagant parasitic life of feudal families has also created a generation of "black sheep" who only spend money all day and live a luxurious and dissolute life, which is particularly prominent in the "Ke" generation of Gaos. For example, Mr. Gao's favorite fifth son is not only proficient in whoring, gambling, smoking opium and playing, but also defrauds his wife to sell gold and silver jewelry, and keeps prostitutes in private houses for fun.
While exposing the evils of this feudal family, the works also focus on the destruction and persecution of the younger generation by the feudal system and feudal ethics. Chueh-hsin and Mei are childhood friends, and they really love each other. Just because their mother had a friction at the poker table, they jokingly separated the couple, leaving Mei sad and lonely in the painful torture. Jui-chueh was killed in the heresy of "Bloody Disaster" created by Aunt Chen and others. Like Mei, she is also a victim of feudal ethics. Besides Mei and Jui-chueh, Ming-feng and the maid of the Gaos family were also devastated by feudal ethics. When Ming-feng was only 17 years old, when she was a child, she was given to Feng Leshan, the old villain of the "dead church" by Grandpa Gao. As a result, the girl who was only 17 years old was cornered and threw herself into the lake. However, Ming-feng's death did not end the tragedy, and the girl Wan'er was quickly replaced by Gao Jia, continuing the tragedy of life.
The work also shows the struggle between a generation of awakened young people represented by Chueh-hui and this evil family. Influenced by the May 4th anti-feudal tide, these young people actively participated in the student movement, publicized revolutionary ideas to the society, and fought bravely against feudal forces and feudal ethics within their families. Finally, they really sounded the death knell of this big feudal family.
Home is a masterpiece of realism with profound thoughts. Through the fierce struggle between the younger generation represented by Chueh-hui and the feudal decadent forces represented by Mr. Gao, the work reflects the social outlook at that time, profoundly exposes the corruption and darkness of feudal society and family system, accuses and exposes the evil and cannibalism of big families and old ethics, and reveals its inevitable historical destiny. At the same time, the work also praised the awakening and struggle of young intellectuals with great enthusiasm, and their break with the evil feudal family.