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Opening statement: The content of this article is written with authoritative sources combined with personal opinions, and the source and screenshot of the literature have been marked at the end of the article, please be aware.
If you like to read modern literature, you must not be able to avoid reading Lao She's works; If you want to talk about Lao She's works, then you must not be able to escape the book I want to talk about today: "Divorce".
Like thousands of literary works, the book "Divorce" has received mixed reviews.
But it is undeniable that, like Lao She's "Four Generations in the Same Hall" and "Teahouse", there is also an indescribable sadness in the book "Divorce".
Where does this sense of sadness come from? Is "Divorce" really just about the "trivial matter" of divorce?
Look at the evil of human nature from "Divorce".
A scholar once commented on the work "Divorce": "In terms of the discussion of marriage, the book "Divorce" is comparable to Mr. Qian Zhongshu's "The Siege of the City". ”
But unlike "The Siege", in "Divorce", you can see 5 couples. Although they are in old Beijing, their experiences in marriage can also transcend time and space, making modern people empathize.
These 5 couples can be said to have their own "misfortunes".
In the book, Brother Zhang and his wife have a good relationship and are also very popular, unfortunately, they have an idle son of a loser;
Mr. Li is an intellectual, and he has always been dissatisfied with the marriage arranged for him by his parents, and he has always looked down on his "tacky" wife;
In contrast, Mr. Li favored Mrs. Ma in the neighborhood, who was not only virtuous and good-looking, but also highly insightful. But Mr. Ma doesn't know how to cherish it, and he is dedicated to hunting for beauty outside;
Mr. Wu, on the other side, has always disliked that his wife is not beautiful and wants to find a new love. But Mrs. Wu was strong, and Mr. Wu never dared to make a sound.
The last Mrs. Qiu is an intellectual from a university who has no fertility and has always looked down on her husband with a lower level of education. And Mr. Qiu is upright on the surface and has a good character, but in fact, he is looking for a junior outside behind Mrs. Qiu's back.
To sum up, these 5 couples have their own dissatisfactions, and it seems that each of them cannot be happy in marriage. Even in the modern world, many couples still face many of these situations.
In this book, these married people, almost without exception, want a divorce. In their eyes, what they can't get is often what they need and desire the most.
In these characters, we can see all kinds of shortcomings in human nature: greed, selfishness, ingratitude, etc. But the most embodying the evil of human nature in the novel is another character.
In addition to these 5 couples, another important character in the novel is a colleague of these men, Xiao Zhao. Not only did it blackmail Mr. Zhang into marrying his daughter, but it also did some business of buying and selling women in order to curry favor with the leaders.
Under the backdrop of Xiao Zhao, these gentlemen seem to be less hateful. Even in them, we can see some flashes of humanity.
In addition, although these 5 couples have different contradictions, their endings are all similar.
The cruel reality, the inescapable shackles
In the book "Divorce", one of the most cruel and realistic points is that none of these 5 couples divorced in the end.
Whether it is a husband cheating, or outsourcing to raise a lover, or "eating in the bowl and looking at the pot", the wives in the novel express "acceptance" in different ways.
Some of them pretended not to know, and some of them remained silent even when they saw it. Mrs. Ma even saw her husband bring the mistress into the house, and chose to leave him for dinner.
It is often said that in marriage, the most important thing is fidelity. But taking off this shell of idealism, how many people can resolutely choose to let go when the other half changes their minds?
The story of these 5 couples is like a gloomy picture depicting marriage, and the helplessness and sadness shown in the background of the old era are thought-provoking.
This is not just an individual experience, but also a microcosm of the times.
In the old society, traditional ideas still occupy people's minds, and no one actually has much choice in marriage. Even Mr. Lu Xun, who is a "pioneer of the times", cannot escape the trouble of arranged marriage.
Among them, the most representative of the emerging trend of thought are women like Mrs. Qiu. Although they have an independent and awakened consciousness, it is still difficult to get rid of their economic dependence on their husbands and the pressure of public opinion.
Their choice to endure their husbands' infidelity is not just weakness, but also a helpless survival strategy. In the conflict between old and new concepts, men are eager to get rid of the shackles of traditional marriage, but they are unable to give up their vested interests and stability.
This dilemma of "dilemma" is not completely extinct, even in modern society.
Although we live in a more open and free era, various problems in marriage are still troublesome for many people.
Factors such as financial pressures, family responsibilities, and societal expectations often put people in a dilemma when facing a marital crisis.
We may no longer be bound by traditional ideas like the characters in the novel, but in life, all kinds of new challenges and temptations are constantly emerging.
For the characters in the novel, they struggle with their marriage, trying to find a balance, but they are never able to escape the dilemma of reality. For us, this book also makes us reflect on our own views and values about marriage.
Human nature is inherently greedy and selfish, and these evils of human nature have not been eliminated since ancient times. But in the stories of these five couples, we can also see some of the beauty of human nature.
For example, between Brother Zhang and his wife, they rely on each other in times of crisis; At some point, Mr. Lee felt guilty about his wife; and Mrs. Ma's virtuousness and tolerance, all of which are warm and shining in human nature.
Despite the fact that marriage is full of contradictions and unhappiness, these good qualities are still present and give some hope.
Is marriage a bondage or a kind of happiness? In fact, just like human nature, marriage also has its two sides.
It can be both a warm harbor and a heavy shackle.
How should we view marriage in modern society?
Should we view marriage as a contract, or as an emotional sustenance?
How can we remain faithful and trusting in marriage without losing ourselves?
There are no standard answers to these questions, but the book "Divorce" provides us with a starting point for thinking.
epilogue
Although the book "Divorce" is full of sadness and helplessness, it also makes people feel a trace of warmth when they read it carefully.
Marriage is a small thing, but it is also a big thing. Regardless of happiness and love in marriage; Or betrayal and compromise, each couple's state of mind seems to be the same, but each has its own differences.
Lao She called the book "Divorce" his "most satisfactory work", many people think it is exaggerated, but in fact, this evaluation is not too praised.
In addition to the tragedy in marriage, the characters in the book, everyone has a "human touch".
Where does this "human touch" come from? Perhaps, it is from the intertwined species of good and evil in human nature that it can be reflected.
Whether it is marriage or human nature, it cannot be generalized. Even the metaphor of "two sides of the coin" is too biased to cover the whole picture.
Marriage is not only a "siege", but also a cup of bitter tea that implies sweetness. Marriage and human nature all need us to spend our whole lives reading.
Resources:
CNKI: On the social chaos and the poetic life in "Divorce".
CNKI: Analysis of the "family" image of "Divorce".
CNKI: Marriage and Love Writing in the Era of Radical Change - Focusing on Lao She's "Divorce".