Reflection on the Classic Novel: The Gun That Blew the Soul Away

Author: Lao She
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-03-01
Features: This book includes over 20 short story works such as "Mr. Horse-riding Trousers," "Outside the Daxi Temple," "Micro-God," "Grand Opening," "Liu Family Compound," "Holding a Grandson," "Black and White Li," and "Sacrifice." "The Soul-Stabbing Gun" is a short story written by Lao She in 1935. At the beginning of that year, the author had planned to write a martial arts novel titled "Two Fist Masters," but due to various reasons, it was never completed. Therefore, he adapted one of the most exquisite segments into the short story "The Soul-Stabbing Gun." Like "Micro-God," "The Soul-Stabbing Gun" is widely regarded as one of Lao She's outstanding short stories. However, the language of "The Soul-Stabbing Gun" is much easier to understand than "Micro-God," yet it is profound and thought-provoking.
Written in 1935, "The Soul-Stabbing Gun" tells the story of Sha Zhilong, a legendary sharpshooter. In an era where revolvers and trains had replaced the relevance of the escort business, Sha Zhilong still clung to his past glory, refusing to accept reality. The story is artistically polished and mature, especially the final ending, which is truly a stroke of genius. The true mastery of the "Five Tiger Soul-Stabbing Gun" remains elusive, like a dragon whose head is seen but whose tail is never caught. After being mocked by his disciples, Sha Zhilong selects a "quiet night with few people around" and "in one breath, he thrusts the sixty-four guns down." Gazing at the starry sky, he reminisces about his past prowess in martial arts and the wild forests, unable to break free from his memories. 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 the resolute four words, "I won't teach, I won't teach." The story ends abruptly. The aesthetic imagination space left for readers is vast—the "I won't teach" that seems to echo through the night is imbued with such profound and heavy historical. A broken dream of "soul-stabbing" thus buries the "culture" of the "past" in solitude and silence, in tragedy and desolation. Everything seems so poignant and helpless.