Rue--Contemporary Chinese Novel Anthology

Author: Feng Deying
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-02-01
Features: From the founding of the People's Republic of China to 1966, China experienced a peak period in the creation and publication of long novels. Over a decade, numerous works were produced, among which dozens had a wide impact and reached the height of their time. These works adhered to the principles of socialist realism, employing enthusiastic and straightforward methods to celebrate the arduous struggles and vibrant spirit of the Chinese people during different historical periods, including the Land Revolution War, the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, the Liberation War, and the construction of socialism. They represented the highest achievements of long novel creation during that period and held an extremely important position in the history of contemporary Chinese literature. With their unique charm, they influenced generations of readers and, after being tested by time, have been passed down to this day. To present a more complete picture of the development of contemporary long novels and the state of long novel creation during that period, we have specially compiled and published the series "Collected Masterpieces of Contemporary Chinese Long Novels."
I. The series is based on the "Selected Long Novels" published by our press in the 1950s and 1960s, as well as the "Red Classics" series published in the 1990s, and strives to include as many outstanding works as possible.
II. The publication dates of the works in the series are mostly between 1949 and 1965. Some multi-volume works have a longer publication process that extends beyond this period.
III. Due to various reasons, some works have had multiple revised editions. For this publication, we have selected the best versions and conducted proofreading by referring to other editions.
"Kucaihua" is set against the background of Wangguanzhuang in the Kuniashan region of the Jiaodong Peninsula during the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression. It centers on the experiences of San Yi's wife and her family, reflecting from one perspective the of the people and soldiers in the anti-encirclement campaigns in the, vividly portraying the indomitable spirit of the people in the base areas. The work successfully creates the artistic image of an ordinary yet moving revolutionary mother.
First, the work truthfully and profoundly reveals the complexity of the struggles in the during the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, showcasing the awakening and growth of the people within this complex struggle and praising their noble revolutionary qualities. Although the quickly ended the rule of the traitor and landlord Wang Wuyi over Wangguanzhuang and established a democratic anti-Japanese government, the struggle did not end there but rather deepened and intensified. Wang Wuyi's son, Wang Zhu, became a team leader in the puppet army, serving as a brutal executioner in the Japanese encirclement campaigns and becoming the mortal enemy of the people of Wangguanzhuang. Even more cunning and vicious was Wang Jianzhi. Under the guise of a progressive landlord, he donated land and established schools, feigning progress and gaining trust, while secretly recruiting followers and engaging in espionage activities. Several encirclement campaigns against Wangguanzhuang, the killing of village cadres, and the murder of Comrade Chen were all closely related to the intelligence provided by Wang Jianzhi. Moreover, his criminal activities were intertwined with the tragic love of the innocent long-term laborer Wang Changsuo, making his schemes even harder to expose. Under the covert alliance between the invaders and the traitor-landlords, the anti-Japanese struggle of the people of Wangguanzhuang became more complex and brutal. However, the revolutionary people did not surrender. Under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, they endured severe tests and grew rapidly through the struggles, understanding the meaning of life. With passionate brushstrokes, the work delicately depicts the growth of the revolutionary people, praising their noble and indomitable spirit. In the harsh struggle, facing choices between life and death, revolution and personal interests, and cadres and family, they always sacrificed their own lives to uphold the interests of the Party and the revolution.
Village vice head and Communist Party member Qi Zi, unable to escape with the villagers, was betrayed by Wang Jianzhi and captured by the enemy. He fought heroically, refusing to surrender even to death, leaving his last grenade for himself and his wife. The enemy devised a cruel plan, forcing women to identify relatives to capture district cadres. As Hoa Zi was walking toward her husband, Lao Qi, she suddenly discovered Comrade Jiang Yongquan, the district Party secretary. At this critical moment, she overcame her emotional conflict and resolutely moved toward Jiang Yongquan, watching helplessly as her husband, whom she had shared hardships with, was brutally killed by the enemy. Understanding her heart, Lao Qi declared himself an Eighth Route Army soldier, sacrificing his life to protect the Party's leadership. Even Wang Changsuo and Xingli's mother, who were coerced by Wang Jianzhi, realized that "dying as a good person is better than living as a villain" and no longer wanted to live in humiliation. They ultimately contributed their part to the struggle.
Second, the mother—San Yi's wife—portrayed in the work is a relatively complete and well-developed heroic image of a revolutionary mother in the history of contemporary literature, holding considerable typical significance. She adds a brilliant artistic figure to the gallery of characters in China's socialist literature and also marks the artistic achievement of the work itself. It is evident that the author created the mother's image with boundless affection. She vividly portrays the main characteristics of the mother's thought and personality: compassionate heart and revolutionary will. The work places the mother in the extremely severe and complex contradictions of Wangguanzhuang, fully showcasing her compassionate heart and revolutionary will in the face of choices between the public and the private, life and death, and realistically depicting her awakening and growth. It specifically portrays her transformation from a mother who only cared about her children to one who loves the revolution and all revolutionary children, bravely dedicating herself to the revolution. The work also pays attention to revealing the multifaceted psychological conflicts in the mother's development, making her image more lifelike and allowing readers to clearly see the process of how an ordinary rural woman becomes a revolutionary mother with a noble soul.
When her eldest daughter, Juanzi, picked up a hunting rifle to participate in revolutionary activities, the mother and her family were living in extreme hardship. The entire family of her older brother was killed by the tyrannical landlord Wang Wuyi, and her husband was forced to leave. The mother alone raised five young children, with Juanzi being her only helper. Mother and daughter relied on each other, and the environment of struggle was so perilous that the mother could not help but worry about Juanzi. However, the public trial and Juanzi's of her mortal enemy, Wang Wuyi, educated her. "Something like a fire burned inside her"—the mother's revolutionary consciousness began to awaken. Facing the traditional pressure of the feudal family, she firmly believed that "Juanzi was a good child" and resolutely supported her in revolutionary work. When the enemy burned down the mother's house, she gritted her teeth and said, "This is a grudge from a past life, and a debt in this life. I will settle it with my bones!" This grudge was not only personal but also class-based. Therefore, when her eldest son, Deqiang, joined the army, the mother happily "nodded." As the struggle deepened, under the inspiration of the revolutionary spirit of the Communist Party members, her maternal love and revolutionary will continued to develop. From Juanzi, Jiang Yongquan, Xingmei, and the Eighth Route Army soldiers, she increasingly felt the power of the revolution and recognized that revolution was the only way out for the suffering peasants. She expanded her love for her children to love for every revolutionary fighter, rising to love the revolution itself. When the enemy forced her to reveal the location of the hidden machinery in the arms factory and threatened to kill her younger daughter, Manzi, for the revolution, for the arms factory, she endured all the torture and immense sorrow, watching helplessly as her beloved younger daughter was brutally killed by the enemy. Torture could not break her iron-willed revolutionary spirit; killing only kindled her stronger hatred. At this point, the mother's compassionate heart and revolutionary will had been elevated to a new realm. She consciously worked for the revolution until she picked up weapons to personally eliminate the enemy. The mother's awakening reflects the awakening of millions of poor peasants; the mother's growth represents the growth of millions of revolutionary mothers.
"Kucaihua" is also skilled at extracting vivid and characteristic plots, depicting thrilling scenes, which plays an important role in characterizing the characters and enhancing the artistic of the work.
The shortcomings of "Kucaihua" are that due to insufficient depiction of the historical background of the struggles at that time, the work more profound and extensive social and historical content.