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Author: Ba Jin
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Publish Date: 2003-11-01
Features: The works that won Ba Jin a world reputation are the three novels Family, Spring, and Autumn, collectively known as The River Trilogy. Some consider it a modern Dream of the Red Chamber. Through the disintegration and eventual decline of a feudal family, the novel illustrates historical truth: the evil feudal system must collapse, and the democratic revolution will inevitably arrive. Like Juehui, the young master of the Gao family, influenced by democratic thought, he painfully feels, "Home is a small cage, a tomb for the youth and happiness of young people." He resolves not to become the gentleman his grandfather, Gao Laoye, expects, nor to imitate his elder brother who swallows his anger. He wants to be his own master. He dares to defy Gao Laoye's orders, actively participates in progressive social activities, edits publications, writes articles, and criticizes the feudal hierarchy and old rituals. He eventually leaves the feudal family and bravely embarks on the path of light. The River Trilogy portrays nearly a hundred characters, including the representative of the feudal patriarchal system, Gao Laoye; Juexin, who is timid and kind but afraid to offend his elders; Mingfeng, the maid who dares to protest against feudal autocracy with her life; Meifan, gentle and enduring pain silently; Ruijue, kind and good-hearted; and Feng Leshan, lecherous and shameless. Ba Jin, originally named Li Yaotang and styled Fugan, was born in Chengdu, Sichuan in 1904 and is a modern renowned writer. He grew up in a family of officials and landlords, witnessing various ugly social phenomena. The May Fourth Movement opened his eyes and instilled in him the belief in opposing the feudal system and pursuing new social ideals. In 1927, he went to France to study and wrote his first full-length novel, The Submerged, the following year. He returned to China at the end of 1928 and actively participated in the anti-Japanese resistance movement after 1931, maintaining close ties with Lu Xun. Lu Xun considered Ba Jin "a passionate and progressive writer, among the few outstanding writers of his time." He is currently the president of the Chinese Writers' Association. Most of his major works were written in the two decades after 1927, including the full-length novels The Love Trilogy (Fog, Rain, Light), The River Trilogy (Family, Spring, Autumn), and The War Trilogy (also known as Fire); the serialized novels A Cold Night and The Walled Garden, as well as a collection of short stories, fairy tales, and essays. The River Trilogy is set in the early 1920s in Chengdu, Sichuan, after the May Fourth Movement, depicting the historical decline of a feudal family (the Gao family) during a new revolutionary period. The work unfolds the life of a feudal bureaucratic family, mercilessly exposing the corruption and decadence of the feudal landlord class and the hypocrisy and cruelty of feudal rituals. The author portrays the images of feudal family women like Mei, Hui, and Ruijue, whose suffering and tragic deaths serve as a bloody indictment of the feudal marriage system and old rituals. The deaths of "servants" like Mingfeng and Qian'er further reveal the social reality of class discrimination and oppression. The work does not stop at exposing the evils of this "home" or revealing its inevitable collapse but further depicts the awakened and rebellious generation, represented by Juehui, showcasing the characteristics of the May Fourth era and "proclaiming the death sentence of an unreasonable system." The greatest feature of Ba Jin's works is that they are born from emotion, which is very similar to Cao Xueqin. Additionally, Ba Jin excels at constructing grand narratives, skillfully organizing numerous characters and complex events, with plots that rise and fall, progress layer by layer, and steadily approach the climax. The author is also adept at portraying the psychological activities of characters, analyzing their souls, creating depth and a sense of dimension.