Xu Zidong： Are this generation of young people really cold, painless and indifferent？

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When people are forced to fall into a mediocre life that conflicts with their own interests, as a gesture or a symbol, they will inevitably resort to a bad habit, because it is more negative to be sick.

-Wang Shuo, "Animals are Fierce"

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Today, I want to review Wang Shuo’s novella The Stubborn with you.

This novel, written in the late 1980s, bears an indelible mark of the times. However, reading today, you may still find something in common between that generation of young people and today’s young people.

Their attitudes towards themselves and the world are equally confused and puzzled, as well as rebellious and angry. They are laughing, scolding and cynicism, dispelling the hypocritical sublimity and social mask.

1.

A gesture of protest and rebellion,

Impacting the literature in the 1980s and 1990s.

Since the late 1980s, there have been various academic labels in literary criticism, such as root-seeking literature, avant-garde literature and new realistic literature. However, from the reader’s point of view, it is not difficult to find that the writer’s style and genre can be simply divided into "heroic school", "secular school" and "rogue school".

Interestingly, if you are a hero, you may really be a hero; Those who are vulgar are actually vulgar. Is the rogue really a rogue?

A typical rogue novel is Wang Shuo’s "rogue literature".

Wang Shuo’s impact on China literature in 1980s and 1990s was, firstly, laughing, cursing and being cynical, which was a gesture of protest and rebellion. Second, he is not afraid of the commercial nature of literature.

In 1992, Huayi Publishing House published four volumes of Wang Shuo’s collected works. It is said that because of the author’s request, the royalty system was adopted instead of the manuscript fee system. In the production mechanism of contemporary literature established in 1950s, "pure manuscript fee and waste royalties" used to be an important basis.

Thirdly, Wang Shuo’s novels parody, continue and deconstruct Mao’s style, an important part of contemporary Chinese, when expressing Beijing’s "courtyard culture". Mao style is of course a neutral concept, which actually includes a lot of language logic created by people at that time.

Wang Shuo was born in Nanjing in 1958. He lived in the military compound since childhood, and later went to primary school and middle school in Beijing. He started writing in the 1980s and became famous after writing the novel Half Flame and Half Seawater.

It is said that Wang Shuo’s original name is yan wang, and it is also reported that his nickname is "David Tang". In the novel "Looking Beautiful", he wrote himself a character named "Fang Qiangqiang", which is really related to "threesome".

Wang Shuo went to A Tripe with David Tang, not with me, but with Wen Dao. However, as soon as he was on the scene, the other two people didn’t have a chance to talk. Basically, Wang Shuo was a monologue. A lot of punctuation was added to the conversation-you know what it means-and then it was constantly silenced.

Wang Shuo (first from the right) participated in the program "The Three Sides of Qiang Qiang"

2.

Laughing and cursing, cynical "stubborn Lord"

Laughing, cursing and cynicism are the keynote of Wang Shuo’s famous work "The Stubborn Master".

The Stubborn Master was published in the most serious and authentic periodical Harvest in 1987. The appearance of periodicals and the "immorality" of novels just form a strong contrast.

The novel was written by the young men Yu Guan, Yang Zhong and Ma Qing, who set up a whimsical "three-T" company, specializing in "solving problems, relieving boredom and suffering for others", which is simply a "venting package" company.

The movie "The Stubborn"

For specific work, for example, if a man doesn’t want to date a woman and can’t get rid of it for a while, please ask Yang Chong to take his place and pretend to date a woman named Liu Meiping-he has professional ethics, but he can’t really shoot. Ma Qing in a young woman’s apartment, to replace her husband, they have to pretend to quarrel, of course, the main thing is to be scolded by the young woman, but they can’t resist, and so on.

This "Three T" company also undertakes some large-scale projects. There is a "writer" named Baokang. He wants to win the prize and has no chance. The "Three T" company will help him organize a "Three T" literature prize.

From the novel’s point of view, the protagonist of The Stubborn actually doesn’t have a particularly distinctive personality, and the plot of the whole story is not complicated and tortuous. However, this work immediately attracted the interest of readers and the attention of peers in the 1980s, mainly as follows.Because there is a ubiquitous irony and banter in the works..

It’s also ironic. It’s not the same as Besieged City or Activity in Human Form. Qian Zhongshu’s and Wang Meng’s satirical humor are all aimed at specific people and things. The laughing and cursing in The Stubborn seems to have no clear goal, but seems to be aimed at the whole society-note that I am talking about "like" here.

Let’s quote specifically to see what the novel is satirizing.

3.

Satire and banter are everywhere.

First, satirize the writer.

Bao Kang, a writer in The Stubborn.

Baokang is willing to spend money to award prizes for himself. Yu Guan, who received him, said, "Of course, we don’t care which award is won, you decide for yourself. I just have never been so close to a real writer face to face, even if I miss literature again, I have to be moved."

Bao Kang won the prize, and later a woman named Lin Bei said to him, "What you said is really profound." Baokang said, "I’ll help you. Do you want to learn to write novels?"

"I’ve always wanted to write a novel about my stormy life, but I can’t find anyone to teach me. This time, I feel that if I write it, others will love to read it. Although I am young, there are many things that are painful and joyful. I want to cry when I think of the past."

Don’t think that I forgot, the female wenqing in the original novel didn’t punctuate her speech.

As a result, Ma Qing warned: "Be careful, Lin Bei, Baokang is not a good thing. Haven’t you heard that hooligans are not called hooligans but writers now?"

The writer hooliganized his profession first. What can people say?

The second object of irony is cadres.

In fact, there is no real cadre in the novel, only there should be a cadre at the prize-giving meeting. We know that the prize-giving meeting was decided by the previous cadre level. But what if I don’t? Find someone to pretend temporarily.

Pretend, he will tell the truth:

"I was invited to think temporarily, and I didn’t have anything to prepare. I don’t have to say anything about my kind words. Congratulations to the’ Three T’ company for doing a good thing …"

"Today are all young people." He turned his head and looked at Baokang sitting in the second row. "I looked at the winning comrades, who were not very old.Young people write their own things and award their own awards. I think it is a pioneering work, very bold, and dare to think and dare to do it. This is simply incredible in the past … "

The acting cadre was addicted to acting, so he suggested giving prizes to the audience. There was real applause below, and it was finally interrupted by the organizer. The fake "leading comrades" greeted the masses with a red smile.

Third, satirize the western theories that were very popular in society at that time.

A client loves to talk about life, and Yang Chong couldn’t hold back. He called Yu Guan for help, and Yu Guan said, "Tell her about Nietzsche" and "Transition to Freud".

The film "The Stubborn Master" features Ge You as Yang Zhong.

Ma Qing said, "I am good at Freud, and I am a descendant of Freud in China."

So Ma Qing ran to chat with her, and as a result, she talked a lot, which was quite serious. Freud and Nietzsche were all in this style. This mocked the popularity of modernism in China in the mid-1980s.

Fourth, satirize men.

There is such a passage in the novel:

"What a man is not a man, I’m tired of this chest hair. In fact, it was all women who were in a hurry, so don’t act in front of men. "

There should be a little annotation and chest hair here. At that time, some people satirized Hemingway, and later it was extended to satirize actors or writers who pretended to be men.

We can imagine, in the context of the 1980 s, what kind of atmosphere does this mean? This kind of words, the speaker has no intention, the listener has a heart.

Fifthly, satirizing teachers and the public education system is the core of the novel.

There is only one real villain in The Stubborn, and that is the serious Zhao Yaoshun.

As soon as Zhao Yaoshun came on stage, Bao Kang introduced him and said, "Teacher Zhao just loves to make friends with young people."

Zhao Yaoshun said: "I don’t think young people nowadays are difficult to understand. The key is whether you want to understand them or not. I have many young friends, and I can talk to them very well. I understand and sympathize with their distress and hesitation. "

"Three T" company’s young people said:"We are just a group of laymen who only know eat drink man woman."

"I can’t say that. I don’t agree with the idea that young people today are called the’ Beat Generation’. You also have pursuits. People don’t have pursuits. How can they live without pursuits? Of course, maybe what you pursue is not the same as what others pursue … "

Then, Zhao Yaoshun patted Yu Guan’s back like herdsman caressing his beloved mount. "Young people, promising young people".

On another occasion, Miss Zhao paid attention to Guan and Yang again:

"What do you usually do in your spare time?"

"We don’t do anything, just watch martial arts videos, play cards or something, or go to bed."

"Look for some books, you should read books, books are a panacea to eliminate troubles and relieve loneliness."

"We don’t worry, and we don’t worry if we never read books."

"It’s not a good thing to worry too much. It’s a good thing to have no trouble at all-that’s not an idiot? Make more friends if you don’t like reading, and don’t confine yourself to your own small circle. Sometimes a knowledgeable friend can still benefit people a lot. "

"There are only two kinds of friends: those who can have sex and those who can’t."

"I disagree with you!" Zhao Yaoshun suddenly stopped. "God, this is obscene and obscene!"

The movie "The Stubborn"

At that time, there was a teacher who talked about moral education everywhere and went around to be a "soul engineer", so Wang Shuo laughed at it in his novels.

There are still many people who advocate themselves all day and feel that they are bubbling with positive energy.

4.

"He has torn some false and lofty masks",

Give young people truth and anger.

There is also a third dialogue. Teacher Zhao thinks that it is boring for the "Three T" company to help a girl who can’t swim and drown. He said:

"It’s not surprising. Young people like you, who have no education, can’t develop any more, are discriminated against in society, and their hearts are very painful, but they have to smile. "

Yu Guan slowly lit a cigarette and looked up at Zhao Yaoshun.

Zhao Yaoshun sincerely looked at Yu Guan: "This is unfair, and society should create better conditions for you. I want to speak out and let the whole society care about you. I am no longer a young man, but I am still full of blood and still excited. These, when I think of these lovely young people like you, Ma Qing and Yang Zhong, I can’t help myself and can’t sleep. "

"Do you mean that our hearts are in pain?"

"Of course, it’s too obvious. I can feel it without telling you."

"What if we are not in pain?"

"It’s impossible-it’s illogical. You should suffer. Why not? Pain can be saved. "

"Then I tell you, we are not in pain."

"Really?"

"Really."

"That can only make me feel sad, it can only show how insensitive you are. It’s not Su Sheng, it’s destruction! You should cry yourselves. "

"But we don’t cry, we are happy."

The movie "The Stubborn"

This is a very general dialogue, in which the society scolds the youth, the elders to the next generation, the rules and regulations to cynicism, and the solemnity to laughter.

Do you think this generation of young people is really cold, painless and indifferent?

The novel goes on like this:

"I want to hit someone, I really want to fucking hit someone." After Zhao Yaoshun quit, Ma Qing jumped out from behind the desk, rolled his arms and sleeves, and his eyes shone with fanatical light.

Why do young people swear and hit people after this conversation with Teacher Zhao?this isAnger.

"Three T" companies and young readers who like them want to strive for two goals:

First, among the solemnity, seriousness, enthusiasm, loftiness and laughter, play abuse, helplessness and mediocrity, they think the latter is more real.

That is to say, I would rather be a real villain than a false saint.

The mission of "The Stubborn" is to expose the sublimity of this fake model, which has been exposed for decades. I don’t know why, there are always people who want fake models.

Second, in theory, they know that your pursuit of salvation, passion, struggle and sacrifice is positive freedom, but you should also ensure that we have a peaceful and free life and passive freedom of inaction.

The concepts of positive freedom and negative freedom are the themes behind The Stubborn.

Wang Meng later gave an explanation to Wang Shuo, saying, "The’ playing with literature’ between him and his partners is precisely a reaction to the literature of salvation, which is standing on the brow."

"He has torn some false and lofty masks."And "his language is lively and catchy, absolutely vernacular, and absolutely free from stereotyped foreign writing, stereotyped Party writing and bookishness."

In a word, The Stubborn vented the dissatisfaction of young people in a cynical way.

He wrote about a group of people who make a living by "selling hypocrisy", but in the end they are resisting hypocrisy.