The Family by Pan Chin provides detailed information for anyone interested in Chinese society and history of present China. Written during the late first half of twentieth century, a time when China was in turmoil, the novel one of the most celebrated novels reflects that turmoil and forms the basis for understanding what followed. The novel is a story of Kaos family consisting of three brothers Chueh Hui, Chueh Min and Chueh Hsin who live with four generation of other part of The Family plus their servants. Basically The Family depicts the clash of old china and modern tide rising to destroy it as manifested in daily activities of the Kao three brothers.
From the novel The Family, the new young generation of china is facing a lot of issues as depicted by the author through the Kaos family. One of the major issues in the heart of youthful educated elite is how to save China from the stranglehold of old thinking and culture. It is strangle for individualism in The Family versus the collective good of The Family. The three brothers are living in at least degree of luxury they are torn between their responsibility to the old system and their quest for the new. Initially they live as noble children obeying what The Family and society dictated for them (Sidney, 9). The elder brother Chueh Hsin is living in misery as the tradition has dictated every thing for him. The woman he married and the job he is doing were all selected for him by The Family. As result he is neither enjoying the marriage nor the career.
The second born, Chueh Min despite family opposition is determined to marry girl he loved for long time. On the other hand their young brother Chueh Hui is planning and determined to break free of the confines of the Chinese family traditions. The three young men are suffering from tradition misfortunes and as result they have decided to rise against conformity of Chinese family to traditions. Everybody in this family is expected to be subordinate to family elders no matter what it takes and comply with family tradition. During the time when this novel was drafted, such arrangements were different from the real life situations.
Secondly the novel reflects on conflict between generation and class as depicted by the Kaos family which is not a group of peaceful individuals. Just as expected many families exhibit certain degree of conflict, Kao family is divided as well. Though the three boys plus other members of the generation are living in Kaos compound they are not together. Actually there are four household living under the same roof and because of difference in financial wellbeing The Family is in bad terms. This is a clear indication of a certain level of class conflict which is further verified when Chueh Hsin fails to make as much money as expected by The Family .
Another issue raised by the author to have faced the Chinese educated youth is the struggle for liberation for women. The society depicted by Chin is dominated by male child. For instance when Chin, a cousin to Kao brothers is told of a change which is coming whereby all will be treated equally, she is so exited though doubtful (Sidney, 24). This shows that girls were really in need of change even though some never believed it can happen. The young slave girl has a dream of being free while the old culturally married men are still stuck to traditions to a point where they are mesmerized when girls are introduced to boys schools (Sidney 32).
If we consider The Family and especially the issue facing the youth as the macrocosm of the Chinese society, then we conclude that their struggle is connected to larger problems facing the Chinese society. First almost all problems being faced by the characters in the novel are almost equivalent to what the youth was going through during 1930s. Gender equality during the 1930s in Chinese society was only assumed on papers as schools were only made for male child. Totally the society was gender biased a clear indication of dominance by capitalists.
The struggle for individualism by characters in the novel can be compared with the general struggle for countrys independence and equality in the society. At times when the novel was been drafted china was still suffering from its ancient history. Reforms through rebellion had born little impact. The only solution to this mess was through change by total revolution but the deterring factor to the change was that people who were in power had no interest for change at all, just like the cultured men in the novel. It was during this that that Chin published his novel that provides the reader with information on struggle for liberation of youth and women from the old fashioned family system as well as exposing the struggles that gave birth to modern china.
From the novel The Family, the new young generation of china is facing a lot of issues as depicted by the author through the Kaos family. One of the major issues in the heart of youthful educated elite is how to save China from the stranglehold of old thinking and culture. It is strangle for individualism in The Family versus the collective good of The Family. The three brothers are living in at least degree of luxury they are torn between their responsibility to the old system and their quest for the new. Initially they live as noble children obeying what The Family and society dictated for them (Sidney, 9). The elder brother Chueh Hsin is living in misery as the tradition has dictated every thing for him. The woman he married and the job he is doing were all selected for him by The Family. As result he is neither enjoying the marriage nor the career.
The second born, Chueh Min despite family opposition is determined to marry girl he loved for long time. On the other hand their young brother Chueh Hui is planning and determined to break free of the confines of the Chinese family traditions. The three young men are suffering from tradition misfortunes and as result they have decided to rise against conformity of Chinese family to traditions. Everybody in this family is expected to be subordinate to family elders no matter what it takes and comply with family tradition. During the time when this novel was drafted, such arrangements were different from the real life situations.
Secondly the novel reflects on conflict between generation and class as depicted by the Kaos family which is not a group of peaceful individuals. Just as expected many families exhibit certain degree of conflict, Kao family is divided as well. Though the three boys plus other members of the generation are living in Kaos compound they are not together. Actually there are four household living under the same roof and because of difference in financial wellbeing The Family is in bad terms. This is a clear indication of a certain level of class conflict which is further verified when Chueh Hsin fails to make as much money as expected by The Family .
Another issue raised by the author to have faced the Chinese educated youth is the struggle for liberation for women. The society depicted by Chin is dominated by male child. For instance when Chin, a cousin to Kao brothers is told of a change which is coming whereby all will be treated equally, she is so exited though doubtful (Sidney, 24). This shows that girls were really in need of change even though some never believed it can happen. The young slave girl has a dream of being free while the old culturally married men are still stuck to traditions to a point where they are mesmerized when girls are introduced to boys schools (Sidney 32).
If we consider The Family and especially the issue facing the youth as the macrocosm of the Chinese society, then we conclude that their struggle is connected to larger problems facing the Chinese society. First almost all problems being faced by the characters in the novel are almost equivalent to what the youth was going through during 1930s. Gender equality during the 1930s in Chinese society was only assumed on papers as schools were only made for male child. Totally the society was gender biased a clear indication of dominance by capitalists.
The struggle for individualism by characters in the novel can be compared with the general struggle for countrys independence and equality in the society. At times when the novel was been drafted china was still suffering from its ancient history. Reforms through rebellion had born little impact. The only solution to this mess was through change by total revolution but the deterring factor to the change was that people who were in power had no interest for change at all, just like the cultured men in the novel. It was during this that that Chin published his novel that provides the reader with information on struggle for liberation of youth and women from the old fashioned family system as well as exposing the struggles that gave birth to modern china.
No comments:
Post a Comment