Lu Xun's original intention of writing novels
Lu Xun was a writer who pursued authenticity, and he once said that he "disdained to write things that stop at the surface". The experience of living in Europe made him personally appreciate the charm of delicate characters and rich emotions in Western literature.
After returning to China, he saw the backwardness and darkness of Chinese society, and he was even more eager to deeply portray the inner world and the tragedy of fate of Chinese through the form of novels, so as to arouse the awakening of the Chinese people.
One afternoon in 1921, Lu Xun sat alone in his study. Through the window, you can see the willows in the courtyard fluttering in the wind, and a few magpies playing in the treetops.
He held a quill in his hand, and his expression was solemn, as if he was thinking about something. At this time, a gust of spring breeze blew up the manuscript paper on the table, which read, "In the depths of the Tang Palace, Yang Guifei shyly looked at An Lushan in front of her, dressed in armor......" It turned out that he was contemplating his first full-length historical novel - "Tang Xuanzong and Yang Guifei".
Through this shocking story, he hopes to dissect the complexity of human nature on a deeper level, so that this genre with unlimited potential can shine in China. But in the end, to everyone's surprise, this ambitious plan was aborted when it was about to be launched, and it could not be realized.
The first novel is planned and terminated
In 1921, Lu Xun set out to write his first novel full of ambition. This is a historical novel, through the story of Tang Xuanzong and Yang Guifei, he hopes to portray flesh-and-blood characters in a more three-dimensional way.
According to his vision, this novel is magnificent, with more than 80 chapters and more than 20 thousand words. "If it can be written, it will definitely bring a spring thunder to the mainland literary circle!" Yu Dafu said excitedly.
However, just when everyone's expectations were at their highest, the project was aborted on the eve of its launch.
On a late autumn evening, the afterglow of the setting sun shines through the window lattice, covering the quiet study with a layer of gold. Lu Xun sat alone at his desk, holding a quill in his hand, but he didn't put down his pen for a long time.
After a long time, he sighed, put the pen back on the pen holder, and said to himself: "It is my ambition to write a stunning work, refine the hearts of the characters, and conduct in-depth analysis."
However, the reality is too skinny, ruthless, and my body today is really difficult to bear......" After finishing his words, his eyes seemed to be moist, is this the helplessness of failure, or the pain of the soul?
The Red Army's Long March stimulated new creative impulses
In the autumn of 1935, Lu Xun was sick in bed. Early that morning, through the gap in the curtains, a ray of light shone on his pillow. He opened his eyes slightly, his gaze scattered and empty.
Since then, he has been conceiving novels about the Long March. He stood in front of the window, his eyes following the vast sky in the distance, imagining the Red Army warriors who had trekked through mountains and rivers, and the thick and fervent ideals burning in their breasts.
It was another grand plan, but eventually, when he stood alone under a locust tree, looking at the withered yellow leaves on the ground, the familiar sorrow resurfaced on his face—for he realized that his body was no longer enough to support such a great cause.
The body and the environment hindered the dream, and the dream was frustrated
The thirties of the 20th century coincided with a time of social turmoil in China. In these troubled times, groups of idealistic intellectuals threw themselves into the revolution, while others wandered and explored in the dark.
Lu Xun saw the current situation clearly at that time, and he decided to write a novel that showed the difficulties and struggles faced by this generation through the growth and suffering of an intellectual.
That night, Lu Xun was alone in the house. He paced back and forth under the lamp, his face solemn and complicated. Maybe he's contemplating the psychological changes of his characters, or maybe he's thinking about how to fit into that noisy and chaotic social context...... This should have been another grand plan, but at this moment, there was some hidden concern lurking in his heart.
Later it turned out that Lu Xun's worries were unnecessary. When he began to write, an even greater obstacle stood him in the way—his own declining body, and the increasingly sensitive political environment of the time.
This is undoubtedly a double destruction of a literati. When he stood blankly in front of the window, staring at the waning moon, his heart swelled with endless melancholy and disappointment. He sighed softly and turned away from his desk.
Regrets and expectations coexist
Lu Xun planned the creation of novels three times in his life, but he could not complete it for various reasons, which can not help but make people sigh. It seems that we can imagine that on a bleak winter day, the gray-haired old man stood alone under the tree, and the remnants of the stubbornness and passion of his youth could be vaguely seen on his face, but at this moment too much sorrow had been blended in.
He quietly stared at the yellow leaves on the ground, his expression sad and empty.
However, we cannot imagine that many years from now, there will be such an outstanding literary young man who will come to the old man's grave on a sunny spring day and present a heavy book -- that is, a long work that has completed the old man's unfinished business! We can even clearly depict the old man in white standing behind the young man, gazing at this popular masterpiece with satisfaction.
Yes, history doesn't stand still. As Lu Xun believed, literature should pay attention to reality and discuss life, and each generation of writers shoulders the mission of their own time.
epilogue
Although Lu Xun's life has left regrets, the bits and pieces he has gone through have made future generations see a real and complete him more deeply. We must remember not only his literary excellence, but also his unfulfilled dreams and ambitions.
I believe that in the future, a group of outstanding writers will be born, who will carry the unfinished business of this old man and make Chinese literature shine more dazzlingly.
Perhaps one day, we will be pleasantly surprised to find that "Tang Xuanzong and Yang Guifei" has already completed the later chapters and has become a popular masterpiece; Perhaps on the movie screen of the future, the epic of the Red Army's Long March has turned into a magnificent picture...... At that time, we will feel that Mr. Lu Xun's will will will finally be completed, and his soul will be sublimated.
Therefore, let us look forward to the bright future of Chinese literature. It's probably not too far away from us.