Introduction: Although this article is short, it contains profound philosophies.
Xu Dishan's early prose creations, in addition to showing the religious ideas of the world, also reflected his civilian thinking of joining the world and his positive and enterprising attitude of not seeking to be heard and benefiting the world. His pen name is also called "Falling Peanut", which shows his love for Falling Peanut. In the author's mind, the falling peanut reflects his consistent pursuit and practice of life attitude.
Prose expresses philosophy, often with the aid of imagery. This article revolves around the image of "falling peanuts", the article is written about the peanuts planted by the children in the back garden, and the father guides the children to discuss the benefits of peanuts. The three children spoke from different perspectives about the various benefits they saw as peanuts as food. The father affirmed the children's answers, but the purpose of his questions was not to say the benefits of food, but to make the children realize that peanuts are an ordinary food that embodies an attitude towards life. He praised the peanut for not showing off its bright red and green color and fruit, "it only buries the fruit in the ground and waits until it is ripe before allowing it to be dug up", and waits until people touch it to know if it has any fruit. He summed it up by saying that peanuts "are useful, not great, good-looking things." Therefore, the children are instructed to be like peanuts, "Man should be a useful person, not a great and decent person."
Like other works of literary genre, prose should not be directly stated, and it must contain the theme in the narrative of events and objects in order to receive implicit artistic effects. This article praises peanuts and expresses a simple and unpretentious attitude of life, not seeking to be heard, but only seeking to be practical and beneficial to the world. Because the author does not directly say his positive and down-to-earth attitude towards the world, but relies on it and borrows things to explain the reasoning, it is meaningful and evocative.
Simplicity and plainness are a distinctive feature of this style. In terms of lyricism, the author neither went to lyrical scenes of the peanut garden, nor did he describe the scene of the peanut harvest festival together, nor did he portray the psychological activities of fathers and children, but only wrote the conversation between fathers and children around the benefits of peanuts. In the use of language, the author's narrative language and character language are simple spoken language, washing the lead, showing the simple nature of the language of daily life.
There is half an acre of land behind our house. The mother said, "It's a pity to leave it barren, since you love peanuts so much, let's just make a peanut garden." "Our sisters and brothers and a few little girls are very fond of it - buying seeds, moving soil, irrigating gardens; In a few months, it was harvested!
Mom said, "We can have a harvest festival tonight, and invite your father to try our new peanuts, how about that?" We all said yes. The mother made peanuts into several kinds of food, and also ordered that this festival should be held in the bottom of the garden.
It wasn't very good at night, but Daddy also arrived, which was really rare! Daddy said, "Do you love peanuts?"
We all scrambled to say yes: "Love!"
"Who can say the benefits of peanut base?"
My sister said, "Peanut base smells beautiful. ”
The brother said, "Peanuts can be made of oil." ”
I said, "Whoever you can buy it at a bargain price and eat it; All love to eat it. That's the good thing about it. ”
Daddy said: "Peanut base is of course of many uses; But one thing is very valuable. This little bean is not like the beautiful apples, peaches, and pomegranates, which hang their bottom fruits on the branches, and the bright red and green color makes people envious at a glance. It only buries the fruit in the ground and waits until it is ripe before allowing it to be dug up. You happen to see a peanut growing on the ground, and you can't immediately tell if it has any fruit, you have to wait until you touch it to know. ”
We all said, "Yes." Mother nodded too. Daddy went on to say, "So you have to be like peanuts, because it's useful, not something great and good-looking." I said, "Well, man should be a useful man, not a great, decent man." Daddy said, "That's my hope for you." ”
We talked about the night before the end of the night, although all the peanut food is gone, but my father's words are still printed on my heart plate.
(Originally published in "Novel Monthly" on August 10, 1922, Vol. 13, No. 8 ,"Empty Mountain Spiritual Rain")