Family (novel)
Encyclopedia
The Family is an autobiographical novel
by Chinese
author Ba Jin
. It tells the story of an upper-class family in the city of Chengdu
in the early 1920s. The novel was first serialized in 1931-2 and then released in a single volume in 1933. The serialization was originally titled Turbulent Stream (激流), but had its name changed after Ba Jin released it as a single volume.
The Family is probably Ba Jin's most famous and most popular work. It is still often read by many for its insights into the fengjian
system prevalent in the early 20th century.
The Family focuses on three brothers from the Gao family, Juexin, Juemin and Juehui, and their struggles with the oppressive autocracy of their feudalistic
family. The idealistic, rash Juehui, the youngest brother, is the main protagonist, and he is frequently contrasted with the weak eldest brother Juexin, who gives in to the demands from his grandfather and carries on living a life he does not want to live.
Renowned playwright Cao Yu
completed a theatrical adaptation of the novel in 1941.
Ba Jin said "I myself am not in the novel," though he expressed affection for one of the protagonists, Chueh-hui. The novel focuses on three brothers: Chueh-hui (the youngest), Chueh-min, and Chueh-hsin (the eldest).
A theme in the novel is the separation imposed by physical and social structures: the walls and gates of mansions, the "masks" worn by their inhabitants, the (false) surface appearance of peace and affection.
"Contradiction" is a related theme.
The author explores the theme of generational conflict and contradiction: "Cheh-hui gazed at his grandfather . . . . It seemed to him that the person lying in the cane reclining chair was not his grandfather but the representative of an entire generation. He knew that the old man and he -- the representative of the grandson's generation -- could never see eye to eye".
The author also identifies a conflict between external structures (physical and social) and self: "You can lock up a person physically, but you cannot imprison his heart."
An important theme is the challenges faced by women, whether the rich Chin, who wants to be allowed to attend school, or the servant Ming-feng, who is essentially a slave in the mansion.
by Henrik Ibsen
, about the fate of a woman trapped in the physical and social structures of her marriage. Family is often compared to the 18th century novel, Dream of the Red Chamber
, a richly poetic and tragic chronicle of the life of a prominent family living within a great house. Though he did not mention it as a model, Ba Jin, like all educated Chinese of his time, had been familiar with the work from his youth. Where the earlier work is fatalistic and told with philosophical allegory, however, the young heroes of Family leaves home to pursue lives of worldly engagement.
. A recent Mainland Chinese TV adaptation and stars Huang Lei
, Lu Yi
and Huang Yi
.
Autobiographical novel
An autobiographical novel is a form of novel using autofiction techniques, or the merging of autobiographical and fiction elements. The literary technique is distinguished from an autobiography or memoir by the stipulation of being fiction...
by Chinese
Han Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
author Ba Jin
Ba Jin
Li Yaotang , courtesy name Feigan , is considered to be one of the most important and widely-read Chinese writers of the 20th century. He wrote under the pen name of Ba Jin , Pa Chin, Li Fei-Kan, Li Pei-Kan, Pa Kin, allegedly taking his pseudonym from Russian anarchists Bakunin and Kropotkin...
. It tells the story of an upper-class family in the city of Chengdu
Chengdu
Chengdu , formerly transliterated Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. It holds sub-provincial administrative status...
in the early 1920s. The novel was first serialized in 1931-2 and then released in a single volume in 1933. The serialization was originally titled Turbulent Stream (激流), but had its name changed after Ba Jin released it as a single volume.
The Family is probably Ba Jin's most famous and most popular work. It is still often read by many for its insights into the fengjian
Fengjian
Fēngjiàn is the political ideology of the Zhou Dynasty of ancient China. Fengjian is a "decentralized system of government," comparable to European feudalism, though recent scholarship has suggested that fengjian lacks some of the fundamental aspects of feudalism.-Ranks:The sizes of troops and...
system prevalent in the early 20th century.
The Family focuses on three brothers from the Gao family, Juexin, Juemin and Juehui, and their struggles with the oppressive autocracy of their feudalistic
Fengjian
Fēngjiàn is the political ideology of the Zhou Dynasty of ancient China. Fengjian is a "decentralized system of government," comparable to European feudalism, though recent scholarship has suggested that fengjian lacks some of the fundamental aspects of feudalism.-Ranks:The sizes of troops and...
family. The idealistic, rash Juehui, the youngest brother, is the main protagonist, and he is frequently contrasted with the weak eldest brother Juexin, who gives in to the demands from his grandfather and carries on living a life he does not want to live.
Renowned playwright Cao Yu
Cao Yu
Cao Yu , born as Wan Jiabao , was a renowned Chinese playwright, often regarded as China's most important of the 20th century. His most well-known works are Thunderstorm , Sunrise and Peking Man...
completed a theatrical adaptation of the novel in 1941.
Publication history
The Family was first serialized in 1931-2. Together with two additional novels Ba Jin wrote in the period 1939-40, Spring and Autumn, it forms a trilogy, Turbulent Stream (激流三部曲). Spring and Autumn continue the story of the chief characters from The Family.Subject matter and themes
The subject matter of the novel is broadly autobiographical.Ba Jin said "I myself am not in the novel," though he expressed affection for one of the protagonists, Chueh-hui. The novel focuses on three brothers: Chueh-hui (the youngest), Chueh-min, and Chueh-hsin (the eldest).
A theme in the novel is the separation imposed by physical and social structures: the walls and gates of mansions, the "masks" worn by their inhabitants, the (false) surface appearance of peace and affection.
"Contradiction" is a related theme.
The author explores the theme of generational conflict and contradiction: "Cheh-hui gazed at his grandfather . . . . It seemed to him that the person lying in the cane reclining chair was not his grandfather but the representative of an entire generation. He knew that the old man and he -- the representative of the grandson's generation -- could never see eye to eye".
The author also identifies a conflict between external structures (physical and social) and self: "You can lock up a person physically, but you cannot imprison his heart."
An important theme is the challenges faced by women, whether the rich Chin, who wants to be allowed to attend school, or the servant Ming-feng, who is essentially a slave in the mansion.
Comparative perspective
Family mentions many of the books and authors which inflamed the young protagonists, giving a vivid picture of intellectual life in a provincial capital. The tone and theme was influenced by works that also influenced many Chinese authors of Ba Jin's generation, for instance A Doll's HouseA Doll's House
A Doll's House is a three-act play in prose by the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. It premièred at the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 21 December 1879, having been published earlier that month....
by Henrik Ibsen
Henrik Ibsen
Henrik Ibsen was a major 19th-century Norwegian playwright, theatre director, and poet. He is often referred to as "the father of prose drama" and is one of the founders of Modernism in the theatre...
, about the fate of a woman trapped in the physical and social structures of her marriage. Family is often compared to the 18th century novel, Dream of the Red Chamber
Dream of the Red Chamber
Dream of the Red Chamber , composed by Cao Xueqin, is one of China's Four Great Classical Novels. It was composed in the middle of the 18th century during the Qing Dynasty. It is considered to be a masterpiece of Chinese vernacular literature and is generally acknowledged to be a pinnacle of...
, a richly poetic and tragic chronicle of the life of a prominent family living within a great house. Though he did not mention it as a model, Ba Jin, like all educated Chinese of his time, had been familiar with the work from his youth. Where the earlier work is fatalistic and told with philosophical allegory, however, the young heroes of Family leaves home to pursue lives of worldly engagement.
Translations
Family was published by Foreign Languages Press (Beijing) in an English translation by Sidney Shapiro in 1958. Anchor Books (NY) published an edition based on the Sidney Shapiro translation.Adaptations and related works
A play and two films were based on Family. The play was adapted by famous playwright Cao YuCao Yu
Cao Yu , born as Wan Jiabao , was a renowned Chinese playwright, often regarded as China's most important of the 20th century. His most well-known works are Thunderstorm , Sunrise and Peking Man...
. A recent Mainland Chinese TV adaptation and stars Huang Lei
Huang Lei
Huang Lei is a noted chinese actor, director, singer, screenwriter and a model as well. He was born in 6 November 1971 in Nanchang, Jiangxi Province and now he lives in Beijing.-Experience:...
, Lu Yi
Lu Yi (actor)
Lu Yi is a Chinese film and television actor.He graduated from the Shanghai Theatre Academy in 1999.Lu has appeared in more than one dozen films including the part of Han Shibang, one of the seven heroes, in the wuxia film Seven Swords directed by Tsui Hark.-TV series:*Field of Dreams...
and Huang Yi
Huang Yi
Huang Zuqiang , better known by his pen name Huang Yi , is a Hong Kong writer of wuxia and science fiction novels. He graduated from the Department of Fine Arts of the Chinese University of Hong Kong and once worked as the Assistant Chairperson of Hong Kong Museum of Art.In the 1990s, after its...
.