Soul-breaking gun

Author: Lao She (Author), Fu Guangming (Editor-in-Chief)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-03-01
Features: The Gun is a short story written by Lao She in 1935. At the beginning of that year, the author originally intended to write a martial arts novel titled Two Fists, but due to various reasons, it was never completed. Therefore, the author adapted one of the most exquisite segments into the short story The Gun. Like The Micro-God, The Gun is widely regarded as one of Lao She's outstanding short stories. However, the language of The Gun is much easier to understand than The Micro-God, yet it is profound and thought-provoking.
The Gun was written in 1935. At the beginning of the year, Lao She originally planned to write a martial arts novel titled Two Fists, but due to various reasons, it was never completed. Instead, he adapted one of the most exquisite segments into the short story The Gun. The novel depicts a legendary sharpshooter named Sha Zilong. In an era when revolvers and trains had arrived, the role of the escort agency had become obsolete. Yet, Sha Zilong remained obsessed with his past glory, refusing to accept reality.
In terms of artistic execution, the novel is exceptionally smooth and masterful, particularly the final ending, which is truly a stroke of genius. The true excellence of the "Five Tiger Gun" remains elusive, like a divine dragon whose head is seen but whose tail is never revealed. After being mocked by his disciples, Sha Zilong selects a "quiet night with few people around" and "in one breath, he strikes out the sixty-four stances." Gazing at the starry sky, he reminisces about his past prowess in martial arts, wandering through wild forests and desolate taverns, unable to extricate himself. Reflecting on the current world, he can only sigh at the helplessness of fate.
He "slowly traces the cold gun with his fingers," and with a smile, he utters four decisive words: "I won't pass it on, I won't pass it on." The story then abruptly ends. The aesthetic imagination space left for readers is vast. That single word, "I won't pass it on," which seems capable of shattering the night sky, is imbued with such profound and heavy historical vicissitudes. Thus, a "broken soul" dream is buried, along with the "culture" of the "past." It is solitary, desolate, heroic, and desolate. Everything appears so poignant and helpless.