Rồng. Phân vân (Tập chọn lọc tác giả hiện đại)

Author: Mao Dun
Publisher:
Publishing Date: Not available
Features: The writing motivations for Frustration and The Rainbow were both about catharsis. During the period from the May Fourth Movement to the Northern Expedition, Mao Dun had firsthand experience, with real-life material and genuine feelings (including confusion and, which also served as catalysts for literature, it just depended on how to utilize them). Unlike later writing The Midnight Sun, which required him to visit the Shanghai Stock Exchange for investigation, the material for Frustration and The Rainbow was readily available. Mao Dun described the inspiration for Frustration as poetic: "I remember one evening in August, after attending a meeting, I was preparing to go home. It was raining outside, with no pedestrians or vehicles, and the raindrops were clattering loudly on my umbrella. One of the women I was walking with, one of the ones I had noticed, had been speaking too much during the meeting and still had a flushed, excited look on her face. As we walked along, I suddenly felt a surge of inspiration—had it been possible, I think I would have wanted to pick up my pen and write right there in the rain?" (A Few Old Words) This kind of writing brought him a specific focus: modern female characters were vivid and central. In Frustration, the static and intelligent women, and in The Rainbow, Mei Xingsu, were all prominent figures. Later works like The Midnight Sun shifted to male protagonists, but women like Zhang Susu, Liu Yuying, Feng Meiqing, and Lin Peiyao still left a deep impression. Frustration depicted the ideological turmoil of youth before and during the Great Revolution. The Rainbow was intended to "leave a mark on China's decade of grand drama" (Postscript), originally planned to cover Mei Xingsu's struggles until 1927, but later shortened to 1925's "May Thirtieth Incident." Through this, Mao Dun created the model for "era novels."
Excerpt from The Rainbow:
The golden light of the morning sun scattered the mist over the river like light smoke; the peaks on both banks now revealed their true green. The east wind played a gentle, spring-like melody. The turbid river water rushed swiftly down through the narrow canyon, creating small whirlpools at intervals. Faintly, a low, rumbling sound, like the growl of a giant beast, came from behind the cliffs upstream. A few minutes later, this indistinct sound suddenly expanded into a bold, long cry, echoing between the cliffs on both sides with a thunderous roar. A light-green steamship moved majestically through the remaining mist, gliding down the river with ease, immediately filling the water with the heavy, noisy sound of its engine. This was the famous Longmao steamship, known for its trips on the Chuan River. It had set sail from Kuifu at dawn today and was scheduled to arrive in Yichang by 2 or 3 in the afternoon.