Seeking appreciation of Yu Dafu's late osmanthus works.

Yu Dafu said in Rousseau's Biography: Landscape and nature can make human nature discover, dilute fame and fortune and purify personality. Rousseau is an idol that Yu Dafu worships and respects, and also a teacher who intends to learn from and imitate. Rousseau advocated "returning to nature", which mainly contains two meanings: one is returning to pure and beautiful nature, and the other is returning to the true state of human nature, that is, returning to innocence. Yu Dafu was fascinated by Rousseau's thought and injected it into his own creation, forming his own unique aesthetic view, which was deeply reflected in his later creation of Chi Guihua.

Chi Guihua was written in 1932 and published in Modern in 65438+February of the same year. This novel has no bizarre twists and turns, and there is no fiery emotional expression like other early novels. But through a small incident-I went to see his wedding at the invitation of my old classmate Weng Zesheng, and traveled to Wuyun Mountain with my sister Weng Lian, depicting a Wengjiashan similar to Taoyuan and a naive rural woman Weng Lian. At the end of the novel, the author attached such a passage: "Attention readers! The deeds of the characters in this novel are of course fictional, so please don't get me wrong. " Of course, this is puzzling. Yu Dafu is a typical autobiographical writer. In his review of his creative life in the past five or six years, he clearly stated: "I think the sentence' literary works are autobiographies of writers' is correct." "I think the author's life should be closely held with the author's art." So how does the author relate to Chi Guihua's life? In Yu Dafu's Diary of Cangzhou and Diary of Shuiminglou, the creative process of "Chi Guihua" is described in detail. The author "wants to write about the character of a patient with lung disease", permeates himself and becomes two people, which complement each other. Therefore, it should be said that combining Weng Zesheng with the first narrator "I" is the real "I" and the real protagonist, which is familiar to readers. The image of the protagonist in the author's early works is like sinking, moving south, like the past, like the spring breeze intoxicated by the night.

Yu Dafu's early works mainly show two themes: one is the depression of life, and the other is the depression of sex. These two themes have formed a series of images of more than zero people in Yu Dafu's works. Most of these odd people are on the verge of pain and hesitation. Because of the status quo, they are unwilling to go along with the dark forces and suffer from economic embarrassment and political oppression. On the other hand, due to the awakening of human nature and the liberation of personality, these people struggle between morality and sexual psychology at the same time, and are depressed in the conflict between spirit and body, which shows mental depression, thus leading to mental illness. Yu Dafu did create such a typical image in his early days, but he did not put forward ideas to solve these two themes. However, in Chi Guihua, Yu explicitly returned to this theme and gave a unique answer to its early theme. Inspired by Rousseau's proposition, he thinks that returning to nature is a good way to solve depression in life, and simplicity is a good medicine to cure depression.

Change the normal state and stop focusing on one person. On the contrary, in Chi Guihua, Weng Zesheng expresses his liberation from life pain and enlightenment to sexual pain through the "I" of the first narrator. Mainly discuss the following two aspects.

First of all, nature: the return of life pain

"Chi Guihua" was refreshing from the beginning, starting directly from a letter from Weng Zesheng. The letter briefly outlines the background of the novel and explains the origin of the story. Of course, from a deeper perspective, this background letter can be said to be the author's memoir. Weng Zesheng, the lyric hero, said in his letter that when he visited the city, he said, "It's really like a crane returning from Ding, which is shocking and novel, as if it were a lifetime ago." And he mentioned, "Is the protagonist of your article" Moving South "writing about me?" What will this remind us of? The cowardly, sentimental, self-pitying and inaction idealist in "Moving South", a poor spare man. In fact, this is the original meaning of the author. Weng Zesheng in the novel is simply the back of the protagonist Iraqis in "Moving South". Weng Zesheng studied in Japan in his early years and suffered from lung disease, just like the heroine Yiren in "Moving South". And "love failed, I dropped out of school, and I have no ambition for this life." He had planned to commit suicide, because he met "me" and had a talk. The result was "infinite boredom in his chest and a night's talk". Suicide failed, so I had to go home with my widowed mother for several years to recuperate. Although people are saved, "but life can't move, move a little, just like a rolling stone going down the mountain, changes will come out one after another", and even the marriage set in the early years has been lifted. Such a typical surplus worker can either rest in the countryside or wait for death. Under such circumstances, should we shed tears for Weng Zesheng and mourn for his misfortune? But the author did not portray it as a tragic figure to make people sympathize and mourn, like the early remnant. On the contrary, the author's writing is actually just a foreshadowing. Compared with his later illness and healthy mood, it can better highlight the influence of natural scenery on people.

What about Weng Zesheng after he returned to his hometown Wengjiashan? After the second spring, his illness "suddenly seemed to be alleviated with the help of God, the night fever stopped, the night sweats stopped, and the blood in the sputum was long gone". Later, "my body, after more than ten years of rest, seems to have a little grasp", and finally I became a primary school teacher. When describing the scene where "I" and Weng Zesheng met, the author deliberately wrote about their aging. "Old man! Say you are sick, I don't think you (Weng Zesheng) are necessarily aging. Compared with them, I am afraid that I am much older? " "Naturally, Mr. Yu is mature and steady. Who is more like you (Weng Zesheng) without childish temper! " These conversations show Weng Zesheng's brilliance and vitality from the side, which is far from the lonely appearance of lung disease before. Moreover, when describing Weng Zesheng's mental outlook, the author also showed great optimism. Throughout the full text, the author has set up scenes such as "laughing" and "laughing" about Weng Zesheng's description without exception. When we meet "Me", everyone teases him, and he often talks to himself, for example, "My wife is not married yet, so it's not bad to be an old bachelor when I get old", and when we eat together, we can keep telling jokes, for example, "Fortunately, it's wine, please ask Mr. Yu to try it, but it doesn't matter, if it's a bride, it's not allowed". The whole description makes Weng Zesheng feel sunny and full of vitality, no longer like the sentimental person who has tuberculosis in our understanding. It can be said that more than zero people in the early Yu family have grown up by this time, and he has escaped from the anguish of life, or escaped the painful pursuit of life.

The author gives guidance here. Weng Zesheng, as an image of more than zero people, why can he get rid of the depression of life? When I arrived at Wengjiashan, I said, "No wonder he (Weng Zesheng) will get better. It turns out that Wengjiashan is in such a good place. " Obviously, the reader has entered Yu Dafu's circle. Yu's beautiful description of the environment conveys people's self-satisfaction after returning to nature, and proclaims that returning to nature is a relief from the depression of life. The novel uses a lot of space to describe the beauty and tranquility of Wengjiashan from different times and places. For example, looking at Wengjiashan from a distance, "there are only some lush mountains and clouds of trees, some of which are here, with a pile of roof tiles and white walls"; From Weng Zesheng's home, "there are some unknown miscellaneous trees on the hillside in front of and behind the house." Three plants and two plants are sandwiched between these miscellaneous trees. The leaves are short and narrow, and there are yellow spots like sawdust between the leaves and the twigs, but they are osmanthus trees. " "The sun seems to have gone down. Under the clear light, sun gear's golden arrow can no longer be seen, and the treetops at the foot of the mountain have already been shrouded in smoke. " WengGuShan at night, "it's different again. The 10,000 silver thread screened from the branches is like the outdoor scene in the daytime in the movie. I don't know where many autumn insects are hiding, and suddenly I thought it was raining heavily. " "On the top of this deep mountain with many vegetation, there is a layer of white and transparent fog barrier", "A few kerosene lamps of every household can be seen far and near, like wildfires in the bay". The morning is "The air in the morning is really fresh and lovely". "The dew is not dry on the fine grass on both sides of the mountain road, but the green grass touched by the nose, mixed with the fragrance of osmanthus, smells like a dream that can be awakened." There are countless similar descriptions. Through these descriptions, through various senses such as vision and hearing, combined with rich colors and vivid metaphors, the author shows the beautiful scenery of Wengjiashan delicately. Of course, Yu Dafu is well versed in scenery. This kind of scenery is not only a description of the scenery, but what the author wants to convey is that people will appear quiet and comfortable in this kind of scenery and become healthy and comfortable, which is a panacea to resist the depression of people above zero. When describing Weng's living room, the author has an extremely important detail description. "I am particularly interested in the screen bar of farewell speech written by Chen Hao. The ink is bright, the handwriting is beautiful, a bit like Dong Xiangguang, and it feels more gentle and charming. " As we all know, Farewell to Hometown is Tao Yuanming's masterpiece. His works express the idea of abandoning the world and retiring to the countryside, which has always been praised and respected by literati. Every literati who is dissatisfied with his official career will take Tao Yuanming as the ideological pillar and take "returning home" as the ideological symbol when fleeing. Yu Dafu's meticulous description seems to set off the elegance of Weng's palace, but in fact it is conveying his thought of returning to nature and living in seclusion, and promoting the spirit of nature to alleviate the depression of life.

Yu Dafu's thoughts have a profound relationship with his personal experience. In 1930s, white terror raged, cobwebs were tight and sectarianism prevailed in the right-wing literary world. Yu Dafu was squeezed by two aspects and once had the idea of retiring. Chi Guihua was born in this state of mind. Similar to this idea are two monks, Guan and Pu. Guan describes an old Chinese doctor, Mr Xu, who lives in seclusion in the countryside. When he was young, he had a great dream of saving the world and people. Later, he fell ill and retired to the countryside, and he was no longer interested in his career. He just sought medical advice blindly and lived a leisurely and meaningful life like a peach blossom garden. "Paoer Monk" describes Qin, a classmate studying in Japan, who won a beauty in love and won the battle on the battlefield. Instead of being a brigade commander, he went to a ruined temple in Hangzhou and became a monk. He devoted himself to studying Buddhist scriptures and lived a leisurely life with mountains and water. It can be seen that Yu Dafu really regards returning to nature as a way to get rid of the depression of life. He tried to exaggerate the beauty of nature and leisurely life, and even described a paradise close to utopia, which also showed his escape from the real world from the side.

Second, innocence: the return of sexual pain.

In Chi Guihua, Yu Dafu not only shows the way to get rid of life depression through Weng Zesheng, but also cleverly sets the role of "I" to explain the return of depression. This theme in the novel is elaborated by the heroine Weng Lian.

Weng Lian is a naive and unfortunate, unfortunate but still naive rural woman. She is married, and her husband is a rich boy, who is addicted to vagrancy and often treats the bride violently. And her two sisters-in-law often get angry with her and complain that the Weng family didn't marry her earlier. The mother-in-law blames her for not being able to wait on men, which is why her son often stays at home. My father-in-law interceded for my daughter-in-law, and my mother-in-law called me an old beggar. The year before last, her husband died of a sudden illness, adding a charge of being a husband, so Weng Lian was very uncomfortable by her husband's family. In the end, I couldn't stand it, so I had to move back to my parents' house. In the harmonious atmosphere at home, she returned to her naive and beautiful nature. This kind of innocence is natural innocence, and it is uncut innocence. Weng Zesheng said in her letter to "me" that she was "born an innocent and lively child, although she has grown up and is strong". In the conversation with "I", he also said, "She is really lively, just like those fashionable girls in modern times, but her liveliness is. This naive and lively nature was vividly displayed in the process of her and "I" traveling in Wuyun Mountain. The author clearly described, "In her conversation, I confirmed that Weng Zesheng also told me about her lively and naive nature." "Her pure nature is really the nature of an eternal child, as Weng Zesheng said. "She is unguarded and honest with people. For example, "I" asked her how she felt about Zesheng's marriage, and she said, "Nothing else, just staying at her parents' house in the future. It seems a little sorry for her eldest brother and sister-in-law. "These words are pure heartfelt words, and I am not ashamed of this stranger. At the top of the mountain, she "naturally put her chubby right hand on my shoulder". I "squeezed her hand and stared at her silently for a minute, but her eyes and face were not shy and excited, and her smile was as usual. When she asked me what I was thinking, she got the answer that worried me-"I ... I miss you here!" " However, she didn't doubt the meaning of this sentence, but felt that "I" was imagining it for her-"Are you thinking about how I will live with them in the future?" When my eyes felt a little hot because of guilt, she comforted me instead-"I didn't feel anything sad myself. Why do you cry for me instead? " So she "took the opportunity to wipe away my tears." These performances show her innocence and frankness. It is this innocence and frankness that washed away my inner anguish and purified my desire.

I don't seem to be a gentleman in the traditional sense When I smell sweet-scented osmanthus, I want to have sexual impulses. During the tour of Wuyun Mountain with Weng Lian, I was fascinated by her from the beginning. "Listen to her comfortable and clear tone, and then look at her red lips. Naturally, they are full of rouge sticks and resistant to kissing. More importantly, with her unique smile, she wants to add an emotional component to the intellectuals, and she must also add a layer of humanistic charm to the interest of the book. " "I was in a trance, completely fascinated by her, as if I had returned to my youth." So, I had a whim and indulged in observing her health and natural beauty. Even her cuteness, innocence and frankness have become the factors that tempt me. However, at the moment of my dream, it was Weng Lian's personality that saved me. She made no secret of me, was honest with me like a child, didn't doubt my despicable ideas at all, and took the opportunity to wipe my tears. These finally make my mind happy and my desire purified. After I got rid of this conflict between mind and body, I made a profound introspection and solemn criticism-"For an innocent child as white as a sheet of paper, I defiled it and made it an unforgivable sin", "Although I have no signs of committing a crime, my heart has committed a crime". Here, the author made a confession with a very lyrical confession and arranged for Weng Lian and me to form a brother and sister to express the treatment of this depression. Next, the author tries to exaggerate the harmony between Weng Lian and me. After Weng Lian and I became brother and sister, "the more I look at it, the more I feel that I love her." Weng Lian is more lively and lovely. She called me big brother, so she quickly called him out. "Run over and turn around,' Big brother!'" "Big brother! I made several phone calls. " I really think it is "like her brother, full of love" When I crossed the hurdle, I solemnly told her, "Be careful, how dangerous this hurdle is! "She was tired, so she took her hand, kissed her warmly and asked her," Lotus, can you still walk? ".Obviously, I have been washed away by desire. My relationship with Lotus is harmonious, pleasant and natural. My observation of lotus is no longer the fancy at first, but pure and moving. In the article, Lian and I seem to be in a clear mood after adopting and releasing bamboo. "Under the bamboo, I was deeply moved by her innocence. "

In Yu Dafu's works, it is rare to try to render the hero and heroine live in harmony in this way. Although there are many works reflecting the conflict between spirit and flesh, the liberation of the protagonist has never been as rational and thorough as Chi Guihua. In "Sink", the protagonist is simply depressed and struggling in lust. In "Moving South", although the hero suffers from the conflict between soul and body, his own characteristics of more than zero people have not freed him. In the drunken night, "I" had the urge to have sexual desire for female worker Chen, but because of my own poverty and sympathy for the other party, I was controlled by reason. In the past, "I" made rude demands on the third child, but my relief was relieved by the resistance of the third child and my own introspection. In these works, the protagonist's sexual distress has never been completely relieved. Their relief is just another kind of repression, and their pain has not been purified. On the contrary, in Chi Guihua, the author is obviously sending a message that simplicity and innocence are the best medicine to cure depression.

It can be seen from the above that returning to nature is undoubtedly a major feature of Yu Dafu's later works. This thought was influenced by Rousseau and blended with China's traditional hermit thought, which can be said to be a return to human nature and an escape from the real world. Chi Guihua has become a masterpiece of later works, not only because it embodies the author's simple and natural aesthetic concept, but also because it responds to his early works, deeply reflects and observes life and society, and provides a model for solving the depression of life and sex, although this model is too illusory and even a bit negative. However, the charm of Chi Guihua remains undiminished. No matter its writing conception, scenery description, aesthetic charm, or its rendered situation and thoughts, there is no lack of research value. Perhaps, as the author said in Chi Guihua, "The later osmanthus blooms, the better. Because it blooms late, it will last for a long time." Yu Dafu's later work "Chi Guihua" is such a kind of late osmanthus.