Peter Heisler left, and he left Huo Wei in Fuling

Peter Heisler left, and he left Huo Wei in Fuling

Thoughts after reading "Jiangcheng" - Wang Shuwen

Reported to Southern Zhou Dynasty a week ago nonfiction writing course. In the next two months, I will read through and intensively read four books under the guidance of Teacher Nan Zhou. "River City" is one of them.

1.

This week I devoured Peter Heisler's debut novel "River City". I picked up the book and traveled back to the 1980s. Together with Heisler (Chinese name, He Wei), I "went down the river" to Fuling, a small town in Sichuan, China. I walked into the gate of Fuling Teachers College and ran and performed on Flagship Mountain together. The Chinese version of "Shakespeare", we ran across the "Baiheliang" together to measure the water level of the mountain gorge, and felt the calmness and indifference of the people in the "Dam" reservoir area on the shore; we participated in the Opium War with the teachers of the Normal College together, and we were "in the storm" together I went on a trip; I watched my father worship under the guidance of a priest; I was teased by a young lady; I celebrated the New Year and tasted Fuling people’s obsession with money; I experienced “another spring” and “went up the river” to leave Fuling, Sichuan, China.

Within a week, He Wei and I laughed together, were sad together, moved together, and helpless together; we couldn’t help laughing several times, some were bitter, some were sad, some were understanding, and some were heartbreaking; While reading and taking quotes out of context, you can enjoy the wonderful homework done by teacher Bao Limin and fellow readers. Until I finished reading "Up the River", I felt faintly unhappy, even painful, feeling like "The spring river sends you sorrow, and the grass grows dense. After being drunk, you can't speak, and the countryside and mountains are raining."

Looking back at the six-day check-in diary, I feel ashamed of my superficiality and arbitraryness. I read through "River City" with my inherent mask, frame, brain, and glasses. It's a bit like Heisler just starting to watch Fuling. . "I only saw what I wanted to see."

""River City" reflects the theme of changes in the small town of Fuling. Chapters 1 and 2 lay the foundation and tone for the whole book, including the small town's urban appearance, food, clothing, housing, transportation and External factors such as the ecological environment, as well as internal factors such as Fuling people's cognition, attitude, and behavior of this change complete the background introduction of this book."

"There seems to be an open line and a dark line. "The author has really learned non-fiction writing, and the frame structure is deliberately designed, at least before writing." "The author's writing techniques are also very skillful, using contrast, metaphor, slogans, homework, montage, ridicule, self-deprecation, etc. Unconsciously, he adopted the local language that is consistent with the identity and character of the interlocutor. "

"It's not surprising that people in Fuling talk about money. If you don't have a lot, how can you talk about a lot?"

…

The tone and knowledge of a middle school student.

2.

When reading through "Jiangcheng", sometimes there are moments when I can't finish reading because of the trivial details. But as I read it slowly, I had to admire the author's ability to "pick up all the articles at his fingertips, and all the insights into worldly affairs are knowledge."

The author writes from the perspective of people on the moon, so he can see the difficulty of living on earth. It’s daytime here, night over there; here, “you want to have as many children as you want”, there, “it’s better to have only one”; outside it’s noisy, but inside it’s peaceful….

People on earth share many similar experiences, including regional disputes, racial discrimination, cultural barriers, and gender equality. There is rain in the south, rain in the north, wind in the west, and dust in the east. It's just a bigger and smaller problem. The great current is raging and flowing endlessly. Regardless of race or skin color, everyone has sutras that are difficult to recite. There is a deep chasm between them that desperately needs someone to bridge it.

"Huo Wei, the owner of the snack shop, Huang Xiaoqiang, has invited Huo Wei to dinner, so why don't you treat me as a teacher from the Normal School?" I have also asked myself this question.

At that time, I was also teaching thermodynamics on isolated systems in a university. If I were a teacher at a teachers college, would I hire our foreign teachers? He earns 1,000 yuan per month, and I earn 86 yuan per month; he lives in the expert building, and I live in the tube building where mice roam...

I didn’t care about Fuling at that time.

I’m also curious that He Wei doesn’t like Fuling mustard very much. Wujiang pickled mustard is mentioned only once in the article, and it appears on the advertising sign he likes to use, not on the dining table of the "small canteen". I'm a little regretful that I didn't get the taste of Fuling mustard when reading "Jiangcheng".

However, although the little Fuling mustard has no mysterious story and is ordinary, it has quietly accomplished a big thing, that is, it has captured the stomach and intestines of people from the north and the south at the same time, and has become a popular food industry. One of the few foods in China that can calm the "controversy" between the North and the South.

Inadvertently, will "Jiangcheng" become that side dish that satisfies the appetites of people from both the East and the West?

3.

I once worked in a non-governmental organization, and we often talked about "changing the world" without overestimating our capabilities. But the author who is well versed in values ??such as democracy, freedom, independence, rationality, etc., does as the Romans do. Although "the more I think about it, the more pessimistic I feel about the education my students receive." Sometimes he "walks on thin ice," I was even worried that the ice would break.

?"What I am teaching is not forty-five individuals with forty-five ideas. I am teaching a group," Heisler was very sober. He did not want to give anything or save anything. , change anything, influence anything, he even said: "I am very happy that I did not build anything in Fuling, organized nothing, and did not make any major changes to this place." If there is any imprint, he hopes that he A few poems from the English and American literature classes I have taken, and a certain character in the novel... can remain in the students' memory...".

During the intensive reading stage, I had to learn like He Wei, bending down , I can no longer stand on the shore of Wujiang River and watch the fire from across the river.

In order to complete the check-in assignment, I wrote down the "descriptions and sentences that moved you the most" while reading. His insights can be seen everywhere: ?

“History is never far away, and politics can be seen everywhere. ”?

“ They saw what they wanted to see. ”?

“ There is still a silent fear lurking in people’s minds. ”?

“For so many years, the Chinese have deliberately and diligently destroyed everything of value in their traditional culture. ”

…?

The story of “River City” is also very plain, but some words will be unforgettable.

Off topic,

Just before the launch of Nanzhou Nonfiction Writing, I saw a piece of news: American writer Peter Hessler asked his friend He Yujia to issue an English statement on Douban today. Due to the failure to renew his teaching appointment at Sichuan University, I will leave China temporarily.

I read through "River City" last week, and I am still confused about non-fiction writing, but I also gained something. I realized: Peter Heisler will come back, because he is. Leaving Huo Wei in China

(End)