Morning Glories Plucked at Dusk. Expert and Master Interpretation Edition

Author: Lu Xun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-01-01
Features: Selected Works from Dawn Blossoms Plucked at Dusk recounts the author's childhood life and the journey of his youth in seeking knowledge. It reminisces about unforgettable people and events, expressing nostalgia for his former friends, relatives, and teachers. Through a mix of narration and commentary, the work critiques and satirizes the reactionary and conservative forces.
The essay Dog·Cat·Rat was inspired by an attack on "gentlemen of high moral character" and satirizes the "rumors" they spread. It expresses hatred for the characteristics of cats, such as their "relentless tormenting of the weak," "shouting everywhere," and their "flirtatious demeanor at times." It also recalls the experience and feelings of rescuing a lovely hidden mouse in childhood, which was later destroyed, showing sympathy for the weak and hatred for the cruel.
Ah Chang and the Mountain and Sea Classic recounts the author's childhood interactions with his nanny, Ah Chang. It describes her kind, simple, yet superstitious and talkative personality, as well as her earnest effort to purchase and gift him the illustrated Mountain and Sea Classic he longed for. The essay, written in heartfelt language, expresses genuine remembrance for this working-class woman.
The Twenty-Four Filial Exemplars discusses children's literature of the time and recalls the author's childhood experience reading The Twenty-Four Filial Exemplars, revealing the hypocrisy and cruelty of feudal filial piety. The work critically analyzes stories like "Sleeping on Ice to Catch Carp," "Old Amusing His Parents," and "Guo Ju Burying His Son," condemning such feudal filial piety for disregarding children's lives, treating "shamelessness as humor," and distorting ethics, thereby misleading both the past and future. The work also delivers a sharp critique of the movement that opposed vernacular Chinese and promoted a return to traditional ways.
The Five Demon Festivals recounts the author's childhood excitement and anticipation for the temple fairs, contrasted with his disappointment and pain when forced by his father to recite The Mirror of Brief Histories. It highlights how feudal education suppresses and damages children's natural inclinations.
The Ghost of Justice describes the "Ghost of Justice" seen during village temple fairs and on theater stages in childhood. It explains why this "ghost who is both human and spirit, rational yet emotional" is beloved by the people—it is because justice is absent in the human world, and evil people do not receive their just punishment, while "true justice lies in the afterlife." Through a mix of narration and commentary, the work satirizes the "gentlemen of high moral character" who claim to uphold "justice" and "reason."
From the Herba Garden to the Three Flavor Study Hall describes the joy the author experienced in the herba garden at home and the tedious life of studying at the Three Flavor Study Hall, revealing the sharp contradiction between the broad interests of children and the restrictive feudal education. It expresses the reasonable demand for children to grow up healthy and lively.
Father's Illness recalls the author's childhood efforts to seek medical treatment for his father, describing the behavior, attitudes, and prescriptions of several "doctors," exposing their lack of distinction between medicine and sorcery, their pretense of knowledge, extortion, and indifference to human life.