Chapter 42 1986 "Ordinary World"

Genre: Novel Author: Yao Lu First publication: "Flower City" Published: Issue 6 (Part 1), 1986 First published: China Federation of Literary and Art Circles Publishing Company in 1986 (first and second volumes), 1989 (third volume) (Written by Bai Ye) After finishing the three-volume "Ordinary World", Lu Yao is like a marathon runner who has finally run to the finish line. I can't afford to be sick. On November 17, 1992, he finally passed away due to ineffective medical treatment.Some people say that he died of exhaustion writing "Ordinary World".Regardless of whether this statement is true or not, it is true that he worked hard for "The Ordinary World", even desperately.Because it is the swan song of the author's novel creation, people often associate "Ordinary World" with Lu Yao inextricably.When mentioning "The Ordinary World", people must think of Lu Yao; when talking about Lu Yao.People are bound to talk about "Ordinary World".

Lu Yao, formerly known as Wang Weiguo, was born in a poor peasant family in Qingjian County, Yulin, Shaanxi Province in December 1949. When he was 7 years old, he was adopted to his uncle in the rural area of ​​Yanchuan County because of his family's difficulties.After graduating from middle school, he returned to his hometown to work in agriculture. In 1973, he entered the Chinese Department of Yan'an University to study, during which time he began to create literature.After graduating from university, he served as the editor and deputy head of the novel group of "Shaanxi Literature and Art" (now "Yanhe"). After 1982, Lu Yao engaged in professional novel creation, and served as the vice chairman of the Shaanxi Writers Association. In 1980, he published "A Shocking Scene" and won the first National Excellent Novella Award. Published a novella in 1982, which was later adapted into a movie, causing a national sensation. On May 25, 1988, he completed the three-volume novel "The Ordinary World" with one million words, for which he won the third Mao Dun Literature Award. On November 17, 1992, Lu Yao passed away in Xi'an due to illness and treatment.

After the novella was published in 1982 and received wide acclaim, Lu Yao began the conception, brewing and writing of "Ordinary World".After six years of hard work, on the evening of May 25, 1988, "The Ordinary World" finally came to an end and was declared completed.In his later writing essays, he reviewed in detail the purgatory life in the six-year creation of "Ordinary World".In fact, after writing "The Ordinary World", Lu Yao never recovered. With a haggard, sick appearance and weak body, he soon finished his 42-year-old short life. "Ordinary World" focuses on the fate of the three families of Sun, Tian and Jin in Shuangshui Village on the Loess Plateau in northern Shaanxi, reflecting the broad social outlook from the late period of the "Cultural Revolution" to the early stage of reform, as well as the life struggles of the two Sun brothers.

The first part is about the current situation of the countryside and the situation of farmers in the middle and late 1970s. At the beginning of 1975, Sun Shaoping, a farmer’s son, went to Yuanxi County High School to study. He was poor and self-respecting; Production.But he was not depressed, and established a friendship with Tian Xiaoxia, the daughter of Tian Fujun, deputy director of the County Revolutionary Committee, and with the help of Xiaoxia, he followed the outside world.Shaoping's elder brother, Shao'an, has been working at home. He is a childhood sweetheart with the village party secretary Tian Futang's daughter and county teacher Run Ye, but Tian Futang opposes it.After suffering painfully, Shaoan went to Shanxi to meet the hardworking and kind-hearted Xiulian on a blind date and got married. Runye also had to marry Qiangqian with tears in his eyes.At this time, life in the countryside was chaotic, and the drought added fuel to the fire. In order to strengthen his prestige, Tian Futang organized secretly digging dams and grabbing water from the upper reaches. God is angry.The course of life has reached a point where it must be changed.

The second part describes the changes of the times from the late 1970s to the early 1980s and the repercussions they caused in the countryside and farmers. In the spring of 1979, after the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, there were many problems and contradictions.Tian Futang held a branch meeting overnight to resist the responsibility system, but Sun Shaoan led the production team to take the lead in implementing the responsibility system and then promoted the responsibility system in the whole village.The quick-witted Shaoan went to the city again to pull bricks, and used the money he earned to build kilns and burn bricks, and became a "leading household" in the commune.Shaoping's youthful dreams and pursuits also inspired him to go outside to "break the world". He became a formal construction worker from a wandering job seeker, and finally got a good opportunity to be a coal miner. His girlfriend Xiaoxia studied as a teacher After graduating from college, he became a reporter for the provincial newspaper, and they made an appointment to meet again two years later.Run Ye stayed away from her unloved husband and went to work at the Youth League Committee, which caused her infatuated husband to become disabled after drinking and driving. Run Ye felt guilty and returned to her husband, and began a happy life.Her younger brother Runsheng has also grown up. He met Hao Hongmei, who had a rough fate in a foreign land, and they finally got married.Tian Futang, the strong man who ruled the destiny of the whole village in the past, not only resisted the changes in the new era, but also suffered from the fires of his daughter and son's marriage, coupled with illness, which made him burn out.

The third part describes the various struggles of the two Sun brothers after the 1980s to change their destiny. In 1982, Sun Shaoping went to the coal mine, worked hard and became an excellent worker.The brick kiln in Shaoan has also made great progress. He decided to borrow money to expand the machine-made bricks. Unexpectedly, the brick kiln suffered a lot of losses because the technicians did not know the technology. Later, with the help of friends and the county magistrate, he rose again.Run Ye also lived a happy life and gave birth to a fat son. The marriage between Run Sheng and Hao Hongmei was finally recognized by his parents and he had a lovely daughter.But misfortunes never come singly. Shaoan's wife, Xiulian, vomited blood and was diagnosed with lung cancer at a celebration of the expansion of the elementary school funded by his family with 20,000 yuan.Xiaoxia made a glorious sacrifice to rescue the victims during the flood fighting interview.Shaoping was also seriously injured in an accident while rescuing his apprentice.But they were not overwhelmed by misfortune. Shaoping came out of the hospital and returned to the mine with confidence. What kind of life will meet him? ...

After the first part of the work was published in "Flower City" and published by the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles Publishing Company, for quite a while, the response was flat and calm.It was not until the publication of the second and third volumes that people gradually began to pay attention to this work. In 1987, after the first volume of "Ordinary World" came out, the editorial departments of "Flower City" and "Fiction Review" held a work seminar in Beijing.At the seminar, people had different opinions on "The Ordinary World", but some people believed that ""The Ordinary World" should be a realistic masterpiece with inner charm and passion. It describes the life and destiny of Chinese farmers. It is a panoramic picture of contemporary rural life and a general reflection on the historical life of the ten years of catastrophe. Between events and characters, the writer puts more emphasis on expressing the alternation of old and new The unique cultural mentality of farmers in the period, trying to explore the history and future of contemporary Chinese farmers.", "The reason why this work is called a strict realism work is not only because of the large number of life details and pictures of rural life displayed in the work. , and because the author has described the psychology and character of the characters in a delicate and profound way, and has written the fate of individual and group Chinese peasants."

After all three volumes of "Ordinary World" were published and won the "Mao Dun Literature Award", related reviews gradually increased, and research and reviews also developed in depth.For example, Li Xing's "On the Road of Realism—On Lu Yao" systematically analyzed Lu Yao's realistic writing techniques, and believed that Lu Yao "adhered to the principle of unifying the reality and contemporary nature of literature", " He has always attached importance to the "time significance" and "social significance" of literature, and to the "broad and profound connotation of social life" in creative themes", "creating living literature that serves real life", "the realistic charm of novels lies in serving life and It is based on the unity of real life." Some critics also pointed out: "Realist creation is still in the works so far because it faces the reality sharply, covers a wide range of life, and has multiple functions of revealing people's fate and insight into people's hearts. It is the most effective weapon to reflect our troubled land and express the people on it.” Because of Lu Yao’s insistence on realistic creative methods, “The Ordinary World” “what haunts people after reading it is undoubtedly the The high-spirited and unyielding vitality of ordinary people in the course of time changes and sufferings, as well as the implicit reflection and criticism of the nation's recent traditions, this is an example of "Ordinary World" surpassing Lu Yao's previous creations and ranking among the ranks of contemporary excellent novels. important reason."

In the comments, people first think that the protagonists Sun Shaoan and Sun Shaoping in "The Ordinary World" are a breakthrough in the image of Gao Jialin in the novel, enriching the character gallery of contemporary literature.At the symposium on the publication of the first part of "Ordinary World", people compared and analyzed the character characteristics of Sun Shaoan, Sun Shaoping brothers and Gao Jialin, studied the logical relationship of character development, and pointed out that "Sun Shaoan and Sun Shaoping are the continuation of Gao Jialin's image They are the new images produced by the writer after adjusting and integrating the contradictions of Gao Jialin's personality and soul. Sun Shaoan retains more excellent traditional spirit and cultural concepts, while Sun Shaoping accepts more of the world's modern culture. The influence of consciousness and cultural patterns".Li Xing believes that "they have lofty ideals, but they are not as ambitious as Gao Jialin; they have the determination to realize their ideals, but they do not have the extreme individualism of Gao Jialin. Compared with Gao Jialin, they are more realistic and more willing to hold their ideals In a sense, Shao’an and Shaoping are not only the continuation of Gao Jialin’s pursuit spirit, but also the denial of Gao Jialin’s style of pursuit.”Zeng Zhennan pointed out that "Sun Shaoan and Sun Shaoping are the two sons of history raised by the ancient yellow land, and they are also the sons of modern times born of great changes in life. They are brothers, and they have a lot in common from blood to temperament. However, due to differences in life paths, experiences, and cultural influences, there are also many differences in thinking and character. These are two typical characters in development with different typical meanings and aesthetic values.”Others fully affirmed Sun Shaoping, thinking that Sun Shaoping "is a novel author's discovery and creation of life, and is the most ideological and artistic figure in his works", "he profoundly reflects the rural economy after the reform of the rural economic system. , the small producers who broke out of the ground have a strong demand for further liberation in social life and spiritual life. This is a restless soul yearning for modern civilization in the era of change... He is an art with rich content of the times and clarification of thoughts Typical, he is the character in the works that can most resonate with young readers."

Another focus of the comments is the "epic character" of Lu Yao's creations.At the symposium on the publication of the first volume of "Ordinary World", people believed that this novel "shows the characteristics of broad conception and magnificent momentum. It cannot be said that "Ordinary World" is an epic work, but it can be said that In a way the writer's quest gives the work its epic character."For the first time, critics raised the aesthetic characteristics of Lu Yao's creation from "profound" and "magnificent" to "epic character".Wang Yu also believes that ""Ordinary World" reflects the penetration and influence of historical changes on the psychological formation of the majority of people through the fate of several entangled ordinary people, as well as their inner activities and spiritual journeys. The author's artistic conception and The direction of aesthetic pursuit, although it cannot be said that an epic has been written, but it has the character of an epic. Li Xing discussed this issue, pointing out that the first part of "Ordinary World" is "the organic combination of poetry and history, It is also an unbalanced body in which the content of poetry overwhelms the content of poetry." After the third volume was published, Rado further analyzed the internal characteristics of the work, and believed that the writer "has grasped the two most basic structural forces, that is, history and poetry. : The integration of the vertical historical skeleton and the horizontal poetic sentiment, the integration of the macro grasp of social and historical trends and the micro perspective of the fate and soul of the characters.A skeleton work without history cannot be magnificent, and an emotional work without poetry cannot be thick.Generally speaking, "The Ordinary World" tries to summarize the biggest trend of thought and some essential aspects of our contemporary life through the historicization of the fate of the characters and the destiny of the historical process."

In the upsurge of Lu Yao's creative research triggered by "The Ordinary World", what is very innovative is the new achievement of Lu Yao's creative psychology.Li Xing discussed Lu Yao's creative psychology in 1987, and believed that "a writer's creative activity is a positive selection process for a writer to face the extremely rich literary traditions of his predecessors according to his own personality, temperament, and psychology." The creation of "The World" is "the result of the writer's unavoidable choice. This choice is not only the initiative of the writer's subjectivity, but also has a certain kind of unavoidable passivity."Li Jikai deduced that in the process of Lu Yao's "authorization", "regional or The three levels of cultural composition—Northern Shaanxi culture, Chinese or national culture, and world or human culture—had an important impact on his cultural psychology successively, and internalized it as an important factor in his cultural psychology. It restricted his understanding and choice of life and literature from the inside out, and he wrote a series of works belonging to Lu Yao."And Xiao Yunru's long essay "Lu Yao's Conscious World" should be the most systematic and profound monograph on the study of Lu Yao's consciousness.Through the careful analysis of Lu Yao's "suffering consciousness", "land consciousness", "historical consciousness", "ethical consciousness", "philosophical consciousness", "life consciousness" and "tragedy consciousness" and other consciousnesses, this article accurately grasps the The rich and complex spiritual world possessed by Lu Yao points out that "Lu Yao's representative works can be said to have concentrated his life experience and spiritual feelings in the two stages of the historical transformation period. Therefore, the spirit of Lu Yao himself and the characters in his works The world will be an important psychic record and an important page of spiritual history for us to understand this important historical period." In 1992, after Lu Yao passed away early in his middle age, many mourning articles appeared in the society.According to the statistics of Liang Xiangyang, a young scholar who specializes in the study of Lu Yao, there are more than a dozen kinds of books compiled and published.Such as "Shaanxi Literary World Supplement in 1992 Reminiscences of Lu Yao", "The Fall of the Stars - Memories of Lu Yao", "Lu Yao Commemorative Collection", "Lu Yao in the Last Days", etc. "The Fall" and "Lu Yao in the Last Days" were officially published, the others were printed internally). After the 1990s, the research on Lu Yao became more systematic and systematized, and some academic monographs on Lu Yao’s creation and works appeared, such as Wang Xiping, Li Xing, and Li Guoping "Lu Yao Commentary" (Taibai Literature and Art Publishing House, 1997) , Zhao Xueyong's "Morning Disappears from Noon--Lu Yao's Fiction World" (Lanzhou University Press, 1995), Zong Yuan's "Soul-Broken Life--Lu Yao's Theory" (Shanghai Literature and Art Publishing House, 2000), etc.These monographs systematically demonstrate all aspects of Lu Yao's creations from different angles and levels. While revealing the artistic mysteries of Lu Yao's creations, they also reflect the observation vision and academic style of different theorists.During this period, a large number of academic papers on Lu Yao’s research were also published. What is more noteworthy is Li Jianjun’s "Problems in Literary Writing-Written to Commemorate the 10th Anniversary of Lu Yao’s Death", which places Lu Yao’s research in the 21st century. In the context of contemporary Chinese literature, in the process of studying "for whom to write", "why to write", "what to write" and "how to write", rediscover and position Lu Yao's contemporary significance. In addition to the research, there have been some remarks involving Lu Yao and his creations from time to time in recent years. For example, Han Shishan, the former editor-in-chief of "Shanxi Literature", once expressed his opinion that it is too unworthy for Lu Yao to write an "Ordinary World" after death. .Han Shishan described Lu Yao as "barbaric", thinking that Lu Yao lost his life for an illusory proposition that "the era calls for epic works, and the people look forward to a new Lu Xun and Mao Dun", which is of little significance, because literature should not be heavy. of.In this regard, Chen Zhongshi, chairman of the Shaanxi Writers Association, is quite disdainful.He said: "Lu Yao created his rural world with his ambition and artistic pursuit, and the artistic value he exchanged for his life far exceeds the short life course of 42 years." Facts have proved that for a writer who has the people in his heart, the people will never forget him and his works. "Ordinary World" created a very high listening record when it was serially broadcast on the Central People's Broadcasting Station, which also led to the constant sales of novel books for many years.In a "Survey on Changes in Public Reading Life from 1978 to 1998", the item "The book that has had the greatest impact on the respondents in the past 20 years" covers both ancient and modern times, both at home and abroad, and "Ordinary World" ranked 17th.Among the "books with great influence in the recent period", "The Ordinary World" rose to the seventh place. Whether "Ordinary World" will rise in the readers' minds, we have no way of knowing, but what is certain is that "Ordinary World" will stay, stay in readers' reading, and stay in people's hearts. in the soul.All of this is undoubtedly the best reward for Lu Yao who has always regarded "the people are our mother". Lu Yao:, novella booklet, China Youth Publishing House, 1982 edition Lu Yao: (Creative Memories), Northwest University Press, 1992 Edition Wang Xiping, Li Xing, Li Guoping: "The Biography of Lu Yao", Taibai Literature and Art Publishing House, 1997 edition Liang Xiangyang: "Review of Lu Yao's Research", "Journal of Yan'an University: Social Science Edition", Issue 1, 2003