Shen Congwen's Xiangxi has the shadow of Peach Blossom Garden, and the words in Notes on Xiangxing paint a colorful picture for readers. I see that the beauty of this world is progressive step by step, from stunning at first sight to long-term infiltration, from picturesque scenery to amorous feelings, and then to the souls of people living here.
The prose is narrated by Shen Congwen returning to Xiangxi by boat and going upstream all the way. He once described the beautiful scenery of Xiangxi in Border Town. In spring and summer, the mountains are green and the water is green, giving people a quiet and gentle feeling. The quiet village also wrote in Hunan Travel Notes: "The place is very quiet, there are no boats, no people and no firewood by the river. I don't know which big stone is behind the river. Someone is hammering clothes, again and again. Someone is talking to the river, but he can't see clearly where he is. "
This passage has a kind of artistic conception learned from ancient poems, such as "there seems to be no one on an empty mountain, but I think I hear a voice" and "the moon is hanging over the capital, and ten thousand washbasins are knocking", and there is a whispering night without a figure, or the sound of ringing clothes, which is a good example of writing silence. Shen Congwen's prose masters followed Fei Ming, and the cultural artistic conception of their classical poems was reflected in this poetic picture.
But the winter here is different, smart and noisy. The place appeared in front of us from the author's perspective: "It was dawn, the snow stopped, and the river was cold. See these boats, rafts with white snow down the river, red flames, white smoke shining here and there, the mountains on both sides of the strait straight up, like opposing trolls, pale white and dark green everywhere, no snow. The current spectacle is indescribable. "
Mountains and water in western Hunan are inseparable. The four seasons of landscape under Shen Congwen's pen have their unique beauty, and one of the reasons is the bold use of color in the text. Green, fiery red and white, these bright colors together can often give people a beautiful shock in an instant, especially such a picture is not lifeless. Accompanied by gorgeous colors is the lively sound of the world of mortals, the shrill voice of women calling people from the diaojiao building, the sound of sheng pipes playing on berthing merchant ships, solemn and flowing intertwined, and the colorful sacred land is like this.
Simple folk customs are also a major feature of Xiangxi, which is an alternative in the chaotic and horrible social environment at that time. Under the contrast that Kong Yiji and Ah Q in Lu Xun's novels both have the requirement of "giving cash" when buying wine in bars, the trust of "credit" between the ferryman and the man crossing the river in Xiangxi is precious.
What can better show the precious hearts of the people in western Hunan is the attitude towards the lower class. The oppression and poisoning of rickshaw driver Xiangzi in Lao She's books directly turned people into walking corpses, while prostitutes in diaojiao buildings and flower boats in Xiangxi lived like other ordinary people. No one regards them as inferior playthings, and only sailors who are equally indifferent to life and death and still live actively give their hearts.
Speaking of sailors, this is a group of people who truly embody the unique deep world of Xiangxi, and they can appreciate the view of life and death that is contrary to the times. We can't simply judge whether their attitude towards life is positive or negative, because the poor, like them, can go to the most dangerous river beach to punt, fight against the turbulent undercurrent for a few cents a day, jump into the river calmly when faced with death threats, or take all their income to have a doomsday carnival with the women on the diaojiao building when they return safely.
Not just them. The young people here understand their decay and decomposition in the era environment. They know everything, but they can't solve everything They are not depressed at all. This is also the hidden crisis undercurrent in Xanadu seen by Shen Congwen. They have strong bodies, but they also have worries about self-destruction. They are forced to cheer up, but they can only be guided by a fantasy when there is no way out. "Because they have understood that the customary rule is unacceptable. If opportunities allow them to move forward, these people are between survival and extinction. They must know that they have a choice!"
Shen Congwen took readers to see Xiangxi carefully, saw people's hearts from the superficial beauty, and also conveyed his feelings for this land to us. I often think that a person's attitude towards a place depends on what he gets there. For example, a person who has accomplished nothing will be disappointed and bored with the place where he makes a living. To be sure, Shen Congwen is full of love for Xiangxi, because he got something precious and warm. As he said, "I don't seem to have any dross in my heart, and I love everything. The boatman and the boat are so passionate!" "
This kind of love is like overflowing water, which is inconspicuous in Shen Congwen's pen, but it can be seen everywhere. He frankly admitted the shortcomings here. As Jia Yi said, the local climate is wet and rainy, and the people are not necessarily good. But as Qu Yuan wrote, smelly grass and fragrant flowers are mixed, but in any case, it always gives people a bustling impression. Even though the mountains, water and people here are shrouded in a slightly bleak artistic conception all the year round because of the wet and rainy weather, the unique flowers embroidered on women's clothes can also reflect the glorious side of this place about "life".
"Auspicious San Ji" not only loves scenery, but also loves people and things where advantages and disadvantages coexist. After several decades, Shen Congwen returned to his hometown, and the memory of his old friend was as clear as if he had never been separated. The brigade commander's arty master and the young officer with a big nose are friends he truly respects and loves. Even if their character is flawed, those words of praise mixed with jokes are full of intimacy.
Part of the "respect" in this feeling comes from the author's awe of life and the local people's lifestyle and history. Even the poorest and most miserable little women here will not be willing to play tricks on fate. Their hearts have never been restrained, and they always turn themselves into strong plants that stretch with this landscape. They don't run away from difficulties and sufferings, they don't give up the chance of survival, so they don't hide their extremely strong desires in their extremely painful lives, maybe love or anything else.
"I think their desires and sorrows are sacred. I don't deserve to infiltrate their fate with money or other means and disturb the joys and sorrows they deserve in their lives." The author looks at the people here with religious piety. Every day, passing ships paddle and sail, and waterfowl rise and fall at sunset. When personnel gains and losses are entangled, it is either a celebration or a vendetta. These things happen naturally, blend into these people's lives, and do your best there calmly. Like other inanimate matter, they radiate and decompose in the rotation of the sun and the moon. "In this process, how small people are, these people seem to know more than any philosopher in the world."
Out of love, Shen Congwen composed Xiangxi into a nearly perfect pastoral, and his Xiangxi in turn branded him and silently shaped his character.
Comparing Shen Congwen with the writers of the same period, we can see that his attitude towards politics at that time was out of place. When others write for revolution, individualism and other things, he just claims that he lacks proper understanding of politics and is not interested, but he respects and is surprised at the fanatical feelings of this nation.
On the one hand, because he saw the horror of the army killing people when he was young, he understood that fanaticism was watered by human blood, so he cherished and respected life more than anyone else. But at that time, a person's strength was too weak to change, and he could only choose to stay away from things that would make people bleed, such as political revolution.
On the other hand, from the closed environment in western Hunan to big cities such as Beijing, Shen Congwen can't and doesn't want to get rid of his "countryman" status, so he always observes the outside world with his own set of standards and measures the secularity he sees with his own simplicity. Colorful cities tempt people to enjoy themselves, but they also limit their self-denial and dedication to public service, so they can only sidetrack and distort their emotions. Shen Congwen looked at them coldly, measured them with the scale of "country people" who were divorced from the general society, and proved the value and significance of life with his own size and weight.
"I don't need your so-called' society'. I hate all standards, especially the homesickness and stupidity set by thinkers to distort and erode human nature. " He interpreted this thought as "the desire of men and women in adolescence was suppressed, the desire for power in middle age was hit, and the physical activity of the elderly was restricted", which derived a pathological expression of revenge on the world. In contrast, who can not love the healthy children and free growth mode in the natural mountains and rivers of western Hunan? Therefore, Shen Congwen has a high degree of emotional identification with a "countryman" who grew up in nature and lived in simple folk customs. "I am a lark. I often fly very high and far, flying into the blue sky. To a certain extent, I finally fell straight into the old nest. "
The nest of this clever lark is a green mountain and green water that does not change every year. An opening is a deep attachment. Shen Congwen also mentioned in his prose that when he wrote this place, excitement and pain coexisted. I feel that the mountains and rivers in his hometown are so pure and beautiful, and most people are so diligent and full of enthusiasm and artistic love for beauty. The underground is extremely rich, and we really should place infinite hope on the future.
"Perhaps the best reader of this book should be a fellow villager who was born and raised in Sri Lanka and will never leave this place in the future." I am ashamed to read it. Although I am reluctant to be a countryman with Mr. Shen Congwen, I really have no confidence and determination. I will share prosperity and decline with this place in the future. That sincere love is polished and precipitated by high mountains and flowing water, and the general reader can only hope and sigh.
Many people, including myself, were attracted by the tea cave and rushed to see the charm of the ancient city of Fenghuang. However, historical personnel come and go, and the birds have changed several times, so it is difficult for the Phoenix to be the Phoenix of that year. The unchanging Xiangxi, lively young people, gentle and graceful girls, and the clear river flowing day and night belong only to Shen Congwen.