What did the opening of wives and concubines lay?

Su Tong, winner of the 9th Mao Dun Literature Prize, once wrote a work called Wives and Concubines in Groups. The novel mainly tells the story of a female college student named Song Lian who was forced to drop out of school after her poor family, and then chose to marry a 50-year-old rich man as a concubine. After becoming the concubine of the deep house compound, Song Lian was caught in a series of disputes for favor. Finally, in the stab wounds of other wives and maids, she had a nervous breakdown and became crazy.

More interestingly, when everyone saw this story before, they all sympathized with Song Lian. As a woman in the old society, she was born at the wrong time.

But now, when I read this story again, many people began to hate singing lotus. They said: Song Lianming has a good hand. She is a college student and has a good education. She is only 19 years old, so young; She is so beautiful and elegant. Other wives are old and pale, and some are so superficial. In contrast, Song Lian obviously has an absolute advantage, but in the end, in this struggle for goodwill, she lost so quickly and so miserably. Some people will even vomit, Song Lianda really learned in vain, and there is no IQ and EQ at all?

In fact, people who understand this way regard this novel as a pure house fight drama. The plot of the novel may be a fight, but what it really wants to express is not a fight, but the persecution of women by feudal thoughts and feudal ethics. We can interpret this work in the background of the times, and I believe we will get a different understanding!

1,

Song Lian's father is a businessman. Although he is not a big family, at least he can give her food and clothing and have the opportunity to receive higher education.

From this perspective, Song Lian is lucky. After all, in the era when Song Lian lived, feudal thoughts were still deeply rooted, and people still firmly believed in feudal thoughts such as: women without talent are virtue, and even the three cardinal principles and five permanent members. Therefore, most women have no chance to go to school at all, let alone receive higher education, and have the opportunity to learn new ideas in universities.

But Song Lian is unfortunate, because her father went bankrupt when she was a freshman, and her father couldn't stand the blow and chose to commit suicide.

Since then, Song Lian has lost the only relative in the world, because although she has a mother, she is a stepmother. Shortly after his father died, his stepmother told Song Lian to either go out to work or get married at once. Song Lian chose to get married.

Stepmother asked her if she would marry a rich man or an ordinary family. Of course, there are additional conditions for marrying a rich man, that is, she can only be a concubine. Finally, Song Lian chose to be a concubine.

Soon, the stepmother found a grandfather named Chen for Song Lian, and Song Lian became the fourth wife of the Chen family.

Seeing this, many people may say that Song Lian's final tragedy was caused by herself. She worships money too much. Why did she choose to marry a rich man as a concubine? Why not get a job and make a living by yourself? Or even marry, marry an ordinary family to be the first wife! At least there won't be so many "room fights" caused by competition for favor.

In fact, Song Lian's choice is related to the background of her time, from the warlord scuffle in 1920 to the first civil war in China. From the time point of view, we can know that it is still a patriarchal society. Under such circumstances, it is generally believed that women can't control their own destiny and can only rely on the men they choose. So most girls have a strong sense of attachment to men!

It's a pity that Song Lian, as a female college student at that time and a person with a new education, still failed to escape the bondage of this thought, which is likely to be a subjective factor of her later tragic fate.

2,

As the saying goes, once you enter the giants, it is as deep as the sea; This is especially true in feudal society!

In feudal society, polygamous men, especially those rich and powerful men, except for a first wife, mostly married several concubines. This also means that when a woman marries a rich man, she will compete with other women for affection. If there is a struggle, there will naturally be casualties.

When Song Lian married Chen Fu, Master Chen had three wives. The first wife was too old to compete for favor. On weekdays, she mainly reads Buddhism, but she is the first wife, so she still has some power in her hands. Second wife's name is Zhuo Yun. Although she is not very good-looking, what she is best at is to please Master Chen in all aspects. The third wife, Meishan, is a showgirl with a beautiful face, which won the favor of Master Chen. However, unlike his second wife, Meishan doesn't always please Master Chen. On the contrary, she dared to tell Master Chen that as long as you don't come to me for five days, I will find another man. Perhaps this is the so-called love and arrogance.

In a word, none of these three wives is easy to deal with!

When Song Lian entered the government, his second wife, Zhuo Yun, was very enthusiastic about her. She put her off for a long time about gossip about her parents. Every time, she kindly calls Fourth Sister and gives her good materials for making clothes.

And his third wife, Mei Shan, made trouble for Song Lian everywhere. On the wedding night of Song Lian and Master Chen, Meishan deliberately pretended to be ill and cheated Master Chen away. Song Lian as a new concubine, according to the rules to visit Meishan, directly and rudely refused.

So by contrast, Song Lian is naturally closer to his second wife.

But she is only 19 years old, and not long ago she lived in the ivory tower of the university. She doesn't understand the cruelty of the struggle between women in the deep house compound, nor what is insidious and conspiracy.

Until one day, Song Lian found Yaner, the maid beside her, and cursed herself to death with the tricks of a villain, but she was still instructed by others. Song Lian thought it was his third wife, Mei Shan. After all, Meishan has always been disgusted with her, otherwise she is the first wife and may not see her so favored. But she never imagined that it was her second wife, Zhuo Yun, who had always been close to her.

This incident dealt a great blow to Song Lian's spirit, or it was the first stage of her later mental breakdown. Only then did she truly realize that the struggle between women in the deep house compound was cruel and dark.

Of course, Song Lian is also a man with a strong temper. She didn't choose to submit to humiliation, but took revenge on her second wife. When she cut her second wife's hair, she hurt her ear on purpose. Since then, Song Lian's struggle with his second wife has officially started!

On the surface, the second wife didn't take revenge on Song Lian, but in fact, she always spoke ill of Song Lian in front of Master Chen. At the same time, continue to unite Song Lian's maid Yaner and curse Song Lian's death with tricks.

After Song Lian discovered this curse, her spirit was hit hard again. She punished Yaner, but she didn't mean to kill Yaner.

On the surface, Song Lian doesn't care about Yaner's death, but in fact, his heart is suffering. She is only 19 years old and can't bear a life as if nothing has happened.

However, what really made Song Lian completely crazy was the death of his third wife.

The third wife is a person with true temperament. Although she and Song Lian were always embarrassed in the early stage, when they met, they became friends who could say a few words occasionally.

Unfortunately, the third wife had another man outside, and later the second wife found out and told Master Chen.

Finally, the third wife was directly thrown into the old well of the Chen family and died.

Song Lian witnessed all this indirectly, and her spirit completely collapsed.

Whether it's the third wife's death or Song Lian's madness, it seems that the second wife did something bad. In fact, the most fundamental problem is the patriarchy in the old society.

Under polygamy and male chauvinism, women worship men as gods in order to win their own interests through men; While doing everything possible to attack other women around men, they will not be divided up by so many people for their own interests.

As some famous experts commented on the struggle between women in patriarchal families:

Striving for goodwill has become the only and necessary choice for them to expand their living space!

It's just, sadly, they don't understand that no one can be the final winner in the end. As the novel said, the second wife won in the end, but who would have thought that Master Chen immediately married a beautiful young fifth concubine!

Just like a saying in the novel: rich people want women if they have money, or not!

Song Lian just understands, she is crazy!

3,

When Chen Fu went crazy, Song Lian had just celebrated her 20th birthday, that is to say, she and Chen Fu had only been married for about a year. Why did Song Lian lose so fast!

Actually, it's not that other women in Chen Fu are too sophisticated. It's precisely because Song Lian is a woman who has gone to college, received new culture education and has new ideas.

So she has the self-esteem and pride of women in the new era. This also determines that Song Lian can't, like other concubines of the Chen family, cater to and please Master Chen unconditionally and unconditionally! It also made her slowly lose the favor of Master Chen!

Song Lian didn't cater to Master Chen for the first time because of his father's legacy.

After Song Lian's father died, she only left a relic of her father's childhood. But later, this Xiao was destroyed by Master Chen without her knowledge.

You can imagine how sad Song Lian was, so he lost his temper at that time and refused when Master Chen made out with her. Master Chen is very angry. He doesn't love Song Lian as much as he used to.

Later, at Master Chen's 50th birthday party, Song Lian felt uncomfortable. Of course, the more important reason is that she is still angry with Master Chen, so she didn't go to the party in time, but slept in her room for a long time. Song Lian didn't go until everyone was ready for dinner.

It directly annoyed the old man Chen, and Song Lian's position in the Chen family changed completely!

Of course, Master Chen occasionally came to Song Lian, until once, they shared a room, and Master Chen made an overwhelming request. Song Lian refused and began to cry. In fact, she just wants to maintain her last self-esteem as a woman.

But Master Chen is very angry. He said:

I've never seen a woman like you. What chastity memorial archway is there after being a bitch?

It was this time that Song Lian completely lost the "love" of Master Chen, and his position in the Chen family plummeted.

Every time Song Lian goes against Master Chen's wishes, it actually contains her pride and self-esteem as a woman with new ideas. But under the feudal family system, this is not allowed unless you meet true love. Therefore, it is understandable that Song Lian lost Master Chen's favor so soon!

4,

To sum up, Song Lian's tragedy can also be said to be because she is a contradiction. This contradiction refers to the contradiction between feudal thought and new thought in her body!

On the one hand, because she was born in the old society, feudal thoughts are still deeply rooted. For example, she agrees with the patriarchal culture, so she is attached to men. So after his father died, he chose to marry a rich man as an aunt.

But on the other hand, she is different from pure feudal women, because she went to college and had a new culture and new ideas in her heart. So she has all the self-esteem and pride of women in the new era.

It is impossible for her to completely please and please Master Chen in order to compete for favor, like Mrs. Chen's second wife.

On the other hand, if Song Lian was a woman with completely new ideas, she wouldn't put her fate on a man. Stepmother asked her whether she was working or getting married, and she would choose to work. Naturally, there will be no ending. And if Song Lian is a completely feudal woman, she will follow unconditionally and cater to Master Chen. With her youth, beauty and wisdom, it is impossible not to get a place in the Chen family.

In fact, there were almost no female Song Like lotus at that time. On the one hand, they grew up under feudal ideology. On the other hand, with the changes in our society and the spread of new ideas and new cultures, some new ideas have been injected into their minds. This also shows that in the society at that time, new ideas and old feudal ideas actually collided. Unfortunately, the new ideas are not mature enough to counter feudal ideas. This has also become the root of Song Lian's tragic fate!

Although the tragedy of "Ode to the Lotus" will not reappear in the new era, the attachment thought of "Ode to the Lotus" to men still exists in some modern women. So at this point, Song Lian's tragedy is also the best wake-up call for us women! This is also one of the greatest meanings brought to us by the book "Wives and Concubines in Groups" in the new era!