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Essay Subject:
Analysis of Pa Chin's novel of conflicts in China & the Chinese family in the 1920s.... More...
4 Pages / 900 Words
1 sources, 7 Citations, MLA Format
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Paper Abstract:
Analysis of Pa Chin's novel of conflicts in China & the Chinese family in the 1920s. Political and social awakening of young intellectuals & the upheavals on the nation, the family and individuals who wanted change, or fought against changes. Struggles of old with young, establishment with reforms. Females seeking liberation in Chinese patriarchal society.

Paper Introduction:
Pa Chin's novel Family describes the conflicts in China and the Chinese family in the 1920s, after the first communist movement of May 4th, 1919, when the old traditional, feudal ways began to be not only questioned but threatened by young intellectuals seeking reform throughout society, beginning with the educational system, as is the case with many revolutionary youth. The novel portrays the political and social awakening of that group and the effects of resultant upheavals on the nation, the family, and on individuals who either sought or fought against those changes. The old struggled with the young, the establishment struggled with reformers, and females sought liberation in a society which was changing but which was still thoroughly patriarchal. The novel first focuses the social division created between

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Pa Chin's novel Family describes the conflicts in China and theChinese family in the 192 s, after the first communist movement of May 4th,1919, when the old traditional, feudal ways began to be not only questionedbut threatened by young intellectuals seeking reform throughout society,beginning with the educational system, as is the case with manyrevolutionary youth. In these examples, we see the connectionbetween what affects the individual and the family and what affects societyas a whole. It also shows how the roots of suchhuge change are often in the family: "A real man ought to cast off familyties; he should go out into the world and perform great deeds" (Chin 22). Specifically, femalestudents in the novel will become accepted in what had previously been anall-male educational institution. Here, the verystructure of family relations is altered. Work CitedChin, Pa. Withrespect to one protest, Chin writes: The pressing darkness increased the tension in every student's heart, assailing them with a nameless fear. With change comes risk of loss, particularly the loss of the comfortthat tradition brings. At each stage of the novel and the change it portrays, this back-and-forth process of reform and resistance is almost constant,demonstrating the difficulty of reform and revolution and the determinationnecessary for the youth to overcome. Youth hasfar less to lose, because they have not become used to the way things are,and are energetic enough to fight long-held traditional beliefs. The old struggled with the young, the establishment struggled withreformers, and females sought liberation in a society which was changingbut which was still thoroughly patriarchal. The reforms andupheavals of the 192 s were but the start of great change which wouldtransform the lives of every family and individual. (Chin 16). Forrevolution to be true to its ideals, however, it requires therevolutionaries to consciously see and acknowledge and stop their own rolein injustices. In the Kao family at theheart of the novel, family change in part is seen in the relationshipbetween the family and Ming-feng, the slave-girl. Chin, thecharacter whose life may be based on the author's own, is excited about thechange but also somewhat doubtful it will come about. However, at each stage of the rebellion, the students are rejuvenatedby anger or unity or determination to overcome the resistance and trickeryof the officials they confront: "Against all these, alone among anindifferent population, they pitted their youthful hearts" (Chin 59). Students are those who are generally privileged, andto rebel is to risk loss of privilege, a danger which they recognized. Chin's cousin tells her: Szechuan has entirely too many feudal moralists, and their influence is very strong. The elderbrother notes: "We've got [almost] the ideal family, but never a day goesby without open quarrels and secret wrangles" (Chin 22). On the other hand, Chueh-hui, the brother,represents the revolutionary attitude that holds that Ming-feng is a humanbeing who deserves to be treated as such, and not as a beast. Accordingly, Chueh-hui sees his own part in the mistreatmentof the slave-girl, although it may be seen as unintentional and indirect.That is, his delaying of Ming-feng leads his sister to abuse the slavegirl. Her male cousin tellsher the change is planned, but warns that whether it will be executed is inquestion. This is crucial because thefamily is the cornerstone of society, and as the family changes,reverberations move up through all of society. They had the peculiar feeling that this was not merely the darkness of night, but the darkness of society and the political situation (Chin 58). Most important from a revolutionary standpoint, the brother comes tounderstand the role of class on the attitude and behavior of every citizen,and the fact that the poorest, weakest class suffers terribly as the resultof abuse by the stronger class. Boy's and girls in the same school? Family. Shu-hua, a sister, treatsMing-feng cruelly, as an animal rather than a human being, representing theold feudal ways and attitude. However, it is something the youth increasingly take as necessary andjust, as is change in the nature of class conflict. The novel portrays the political and social awakeningof that group and the effects of resultant upheavals on the nation, thefamily, and on individuals who either sought or fought against thosechanges. When he fails to defend Chueh-hui, he compounds his guilt (Chin 19-2 ). They're sure to oppose this thing. Boston: Cheng & Tsui, 1972.----------------------- 6 Such understanding forces him to change,and the fact that he is one of millions of youth undergoing similarawakenings shows how small changes can grow to become revolutions whichchange nations and the entire world. The novel first focuses the social division created between theeducational system and the military system, then explores the impact offemales' beginning to win new rights and freedoms, bringing much turbulenceto both male-female relationships and to the society which depended on thestability and tradition of those relationships. The entrance of female students in an all-male school is a sign ofdeep reform and suggests again the willingness of youth to face andovercome change in a way which older citizens fear and resist. Conflicts reverberate up tothe government from what begins as a small student protest, and down fromthe government to eventually affect all citizens directly or indirectly.One related question in the 192 s was how the nation would pursue bothforeign policy goals as well as develop its domestic strengths throughfunding and reforming of education, and, again, how changes in such hugeissues upset every part of the lives of individuals. In China in the 192 s, the feudal life was coming apart at the seams,and the Kao family, with "four generations under one roof" (Chin 22), is amicrocosm of that society, with old and new ways colliding, the nature ofclass relations challenged, female roles remade, and so on. That's something they never thought of in their wildest dreams! Chin portrays the conflict between educational and militaryauthorities over the finances of the school system in order to show boththe great changes and uncertainties in a rapidly changing society, as wellas the vitality and energy of such a society.

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