Lao She, formerly known as Shu Qingchun, is an outstanding writer and dramatist in the history of modern Chinese literature. His life is full of legends, and his early life and educational experiences laid a solid foundation for his later literary creations.
On February 3, 1899, Lao She was born into a Manchu family in Xicheng District, Beijing. His father, Shu Yongshou, was an ordinary flag soldier, and his mother was an ordinary housewife. Although Lao She's family is not wealthy, it is full of warmth and love. However, the good times did not last long, in 1900, the Eight-Nation Alliance's war of aggression against China broke out, and Lao She's father died heroically in this war, leaving orphans and widows. Lao She's mother, a strong woman, took on the heavy responsibility of raising Lao She alone.
In those turbulent times, Lao She's mother knew the importance of education. Despite her poor family, she still insisted that Lao She receive an education. At the age of 9, Lao She received financial support from Master Zong Yue, a compassionate Buddhist who saw Lao She's ingenuity and thirst for knowledge, and decided to sponsor him to study in a private school. In his private school, Lao She showed extraordinary talent, he was diligent and studious, and he had a strong interest in literature and history. Master Zongyue gave him the name "Shu Sheyu", which means the spirit of sacrificing oneself and thinking about others.
Lao She's literary career began in the early 30s of the 20th century, during which time his life and creation underwent important changes. In 1930, Lao She went to England to take up a position as a teacher, which not only provided him with a new living environment, but also opened a window for him to understand Western culture. In the UK, Lao She not only taught Chinese, but also studied and researched Western literature and philosophy more deeply, and these experiences greatly enriched his thinking and vision.
During his time in England, Lao She's literary talent gradually became known, and he began to emerge in the literary world and became famous. His literary works began to attract attention, and many of them had deep insights into Chinese culture and life. It was in England that Lao She met Hu Jieqing, a woman who also loves literature and art, through Luo Changpei's introduction. The two were attracted to each other because of their shared interests and ideals, and eventually married in 1930.
After their marriage, Lao She and Hu Jieqing returned to China together, and they settled in Jinan, Shandong Province, where they started a new life. Lao She's teaching career in Jinan not only provided him with a stable source of income, but also provided him with rich materials and inspiration for his literary creation. In Jinan, Lao She wrote famous essays such as "Winter in Jinan", which depicted the natural scenery and humanistic feelings of the city of Jinan with their delicate brushstrokes and profound emotions.
"Winter in Jinan" is one of Lao She's best prose works, which takes Jinan's winter as the background, and shows the unique natural beauty, history and culture of Jinan through the depiction of snow scenes, springs, ancient streets and other elements. In this prose, Lao She uses rich metaphors and figurative language to make the reader feel as if they are in that silver-covered world and feel the tranquility and tranquility of Jinan in winter. At the same time, Lao She also reflected the living conditions and emotional experiences of ordinary people through his description of the lives of Jinan citizens, and showed his deep understanding and sympathy for the lives of ordinary people.
His teaching and creative life in Jinan had a profound impact on Lao She's literary career. The works of this period not only reached a new height in art, but also showed Lao She's profound thinking about traditional culture and modern life in thought. Lao She's literary creation began to shift from simple literary expression to concern and criticism of social reality, and his works began to have more distinctive characteristics of the times and a sense of social responsibility.
The marriage between Lao She and Hu Jieqing not only gave him great support and encouragement in his personal life, but also inspired his creative inspiration spiritually. Hu Jieqing's literary accomplishment and artistic taste have had a positive impact on Lao She's creation. The two shared life experiences and love for literature made them form a deep spiritual resonance, which is fully reflected in Lao She's works.
Lao She's literary career began in a turbulent era, and his creation was profoundly influenced by the background and social environment of the times. However, it is precisely these experiences that have shaped Lao She's unique literary style and depth of thought. His study and living experience in the United Kingdom, as well as his marriage to Hu Jieqing, have provided rich materials and inspiration for Lao She's literary creation. His teaching and creative career in Jinan has fully demonstrated Lao She's literary talent, and his works have begun to receive wider attention and recognition. It is in this context that Lao She's literary career has gradually moved towards glory.
Lao She's literary achievements and honors are the result of his life's hard work and unremitting efforts. During his teaching period in Shandong, Lao She's creation entered a new peak period, and he not only made achievements in literary theory, but also achieved fruitful results in literary creation. Works such as "Divorce", "Crescent Moon" and "Camel Xiangzi" are all representative works of this period, and they have established Lao She's important position in the history of modern Chinese literature with their profound social significance and artistic value.
"Divorce" is a profound reflection and critique of Lao She's traditional concept of marriage, revealing the destruction of personal happiness by feudal ethics by telling the story of a couple who are bound by traditional concepts and going to divorce. "Crescent Moon" shows the tragic fate of women in the old society and their desire for freedom through the growth experience of a young girl. The novel takes the life of Xiangzi, a rickshaw driver in Beijing, as a clue, profoundly reveals the suffering and struggle of the people at the bottom of society, and ruthlessly exposes and criticizes the injustice of the old society.
In 1949, after the founding of the People's Republic of China, although Lao She was in the United States, he always cared about the motherland. He paid close attention to the political and cultural developments in China and was full of expectations and longing for the founding of New China. In the end, Lao She decided to return to China and devote himself to the literary cause of New China. After returning to China, Lao She served as the vice chairman of the Chinese Folk Literature Research Association, and actively participated in the cultural construction and literary development of New China.
In 1951, Lao She was awarded the honorary title of "People's Artist" for his outstanding contributions to literary creation. This honor is not only a recognition of Lao She's literary achievements, but also an affirmation of the people's nature and the spirit of the times that he has shown in his literary creation. Lao She's literary works, with their profound ideological connotations and distinctive artistic characteristics, have become a banner of new Chinese literature.
In 1953, Lao She was elected president of the All-China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, which marked a new height in his status and influence in the literary world. As the chairman of the Federation of Literary and Art Circles, Lao She actively promoted the prosperity and development of literary creation, encouraged and supported more literary workers to devote themselves to literary creation, and made important contributions to the literary cause of New China.
Lao She's literary achievements and honors are the result of his personal talent and efforts, and they are also the affirmation and recognition given to him by the times and society. His literary works, with their profound ideological and artistic qualities, have influenced generations of readers and have become classics of modern Chinese literature. Lao She's literary career is closely linked to the fate of New China, and his creations have always run through his love for the motherland and care for the people. Lao She's literary achievements not only belong to him personally, but also to the cultural treasure house of the entire Chinese nation.
However, in the face of Lao She's request to join the party, Premier Zhou Enlai gave different suggestions. Premier Zhou believes that Lao She, as a person outside the party, can play a greater role in a broader field. In the political environment at that time, people outside the party were often able to express their views and opinions more freely and put forward constructive suggestions for the country's cultural development and social progress. Premier Zhou believes that Lao She's literary achievements and social influence have made him a rare cultural envoy, and his status outside the party can bring more vitality and innovation to the cultural cause of New China.