Bai Liusu’s character

Conservative "old house", weak white tassel.

“‘Our family uses an old clock.’ Their ten o’clock is other people’s eleven o’clock. Their singing is off track and they cannot keep up with the rhythm of life.” ① Just like this passage, The White House is a declining family that cannot keep up with the times. Guarding the ancient bell means guarding the traditional thoughts. Mrs. Bai is the representative and executor of this traditional thought. What they do must also be out of touch with the outside world. For example, they cling to the remaining inheritance of their fallen family and live a life that is honorable to others. The two men, however, were like girls waiting to be married, staying home and timid. There would be no trace of them in the colorful world outside.

Like most women at that time, Bai Liusu was a conservative but knowledgeable woman. She obeyed her mother and accepted the so-called right match at home, and achieved her first marriage. Mrs. Bai, this old mother who has gone through many hardships over the years, even though the Bai family has declined, still stubbornly maintains the original flavor of the scholarly home. Everything is done according to the ancient rules, and she firmly controls people within these rules. middle. Originally, her daughter had been bullied, and as an old mother, she should have made the decision for her daughter. However, she always only instilled this traditional thought into Bai Liusu: As a woman, when you marry a chicken, follow the chicken, when you marry a dog, follow the dog, and when you marry a dog, follow the dog. Monkeys are walking all over the mountain. She believes that as a woman, it is okay to suffer a little anger and suffer a little.

The elder brother and sister-in-law in the family are even more selfish and will only move closer to money. As long as they have money, it is worth selling their sister. They wish they had more sisters like this so that their Bai family can continue to support themselves. Therefore, it is even more impossible for Bai Liusu to rely on them to find a foothold. A weak woman supports herself with strength behind her weakness.

This is a weak little girl from a scholarly family. Even her mother cannot make decisions for herself, so she can only stand up and make decisions for herself. In this way, Bai Liusu bravely stood up from his weak side and supported his strong side. Make the decision for yourself and get divorced forcefully. Although there was too much pain and helplessness in the process of walking out of her husband's house, she still persisted. But it shows that Liusu is no longer a weak woman who abides by the "three obediences and four virtues" in the traditional sense and accepts everything. She already knows how to use the law to protect her personality and rights. It can be seen here that Bai Liusu is a member of the Bai family who has new ideas in the new era. She is the first person to step out of the "Three Obediences and Four Virtues".

Although she has the same conservative ideas as the Bai family, she is the only "alternative member of the Bai family" who can accept new trends and ideas and has her own thoughts. She didn't want to waste her great youth in this unhappy love and suffer all the humiliation, so she chose her own way - divorce. Being weak, she could only accept the cold looks and insults from the Bai family when she returned to her parents' home, and accept all the old rules in the family. Her weak character made her submissive at first. However, weakness is not all of her character. At the limit of weakness, she angrily shows her strong side. Not everyone can accept such strength, only Fan Liuyuan. From the Bai family's perspective, no matter how strong Bai Liusu is, she still needs a home, a home that only requires money. Bai Gongguan believes that "three obediences and four virtues" and "three cardinal principles and five constant virtues" are the destiny of all women, and it is also the destiny of her Bai Liusu. Just like Mrs. Bai, her whole life is to stick to these "Three Cardinal Guidelines and Five Constant Rules" without making any mistakes. But Bai Liusu believes that women also have the right to make their own decisions. This is the new idea in the new era. The reason why she is weak is because she has not completely escaped from the traditional constraints of feudal society, especially when she grew up in a strict "feudal society" like Bai Gongguan. She still has the "blood of feudal society" in her bones. The cruelty of marriage is like an opportunity for her to get injured and exchange blood. Her strength is the "new blood" and her weakness is the "old blood". "New blood" gives her strength, while "old blood" is the string that binds her life. This forms the weak and contradictory character behind Bai Liusu's strength. Do not believe in fate and become a veritable "gambler".

If she loses, her reputation will be discredited and she will be unqualified to be a stepmother to her five children. If she wins, she can get Fan Liuyuan, the object that everyone is eyeing, and purge the bad breath in her chest. "⑤ Here Bai Liusu's "gambler" character is clearly revealed. Going to Hong Kong will give her a bigger gambling house. If she is lucky, she will get Fan Liuyuan's love. If something goes wrong, she will Her reputation will be ruined. Choosing to gamble again is a sign of her character that believes in fate.