At No.31,St. James Garden Street, Holland Park, west London, there is a small black building with three floors, which was officially listed as the "former residence of celebrities" in London by the British Ministry of Culture. This listed "Blue House" is the place where Lao She, a China writer, lived in Britain, and it has attracted people's attention all over the world.
Among more than 30 foreign celebrities who won the "Blue House" in Britain, Lao She was the first one from China. He once lived in England for five years, and his creative career began. Here, he successively wrote the first half of the novels Lao Zhang's Philosophy, Zhao Ziyue and Erma, which have influenced the later generations for decades with unique depth, humor, complexity and brilliance.
A poor mother is a real teacher.
When Lao She was one and a half years old, Eight-Nation Alliance brutally invaded Beijing. As a soldier defending the imperial city, Lao She's father stubbornly stood his ground and died in battle. At that time, the early death of my father doomed the poverty and hardship of this family.
Lao She was malnourished and emaciated when she was a child, and she could not speak at the age of 3. When he grows up, his mother wants him to go to school, but she can't afford the tuition. Until the age of 9, Lao She was still a poor child who couldn't read. Later, with the support of a relative, Lao She went to a private school.
"From private school to primary school and then to middle school, I have experienced at least 20 teachers, some of whom have a great influence on me, but the real teacher, who inherits my personality, is my mother. My mother can't read What she gave me was the education of life. " In Lao She's memory, her mother's hands were red and swollen all the year round. During the day, she washes people's clothes, and even if the butcher sends them black cloth socks, she washes them in vain. In the evening, my mother kept burning oil lamps and sewing clothes until late at night. Mother's diligence, neatness, simplicity, generosity and hospitality are deeply engraved in the mind of young Lao She. These beautiful qualities have been well reflected in Lao She in the future.
Because of the hardships of life, Lao She often goes to school hungry. But he loves reading, and he is smart and eager to learn. He can recite many ancient poems, and his compositions and speeches are often praised by teachers. At that time, the school implemented the system of repeating classes, and senior students and junior students were in the same classroom. Lao She is often designated as a substitute "little teacher" for junior students.
This year after graduating from primary school, Lao She was admitted to a key middle school with excellent results, but because she couldn't afford the tuition, she secretly entered Beijing Normal University in the second semester without telling her mother. What impressed Lao She most in this school is that tuition, meals, books and uniforms are all provided by the school.
Writing constantly explores the road to saving the country in the article.
"Maybe I have no special talent, but I am diligent." Lao She once commented on himself like this. This is also the case. In his limited life, he insisted on writing, and in unremitting struggle, he wrote a series of works that won international reputation.
At the age of 26, Lao She came to the Oriental College of London University as a teacher. The library of Oriental College is quite large. Lao She spent most of five years in London. Besides attending classes at ordinary times, he studies, prepares lessons and rests here. The rich collection of books and elegant environment in the library provide him with great convenience.
Later, Lao She recalled his life in England and said, "I hope to have the opportunity to go to England again and write two more novels in this library." It is from here that Lao She took the first step in writing. It took him about a year to complete his first work, Lao Zhang's Philosophy, with a cheap exercise book. 1In July, 926, Lao Zhang's Philosophy was published in Fiction Monthly, which greatly encouraged him and stimulated his literary potential. Later, he finished two novels, Zhao Ziyue and Mar, in England.
1930, Lao She set foot on the ship returning home. He was keen on writing and began to write on board. In his novel, he described a pair of China men and women in London. The poor saved the rich girl, and then they fell in love. The man fell into boundless love, and the woman only regarded love as entertainment and gratitude, which ruined the man. The novel was written to 40,000 words, but I was reluctant to disembark in Singapore because of insufficient travel expenses. In midsummer, Singapore is like an oven. Lao She, like a letter of introduction, goes everywhere to apply for a job with a monthly novel and works. Finally, he found a job as a Chinese teacher in Huaqiao Middle School. During his stay in Singapore, Lao She witnessed the great efforts made by many overseas Chinese to build their homes. Lao She realized that, by contrast, the children's affection in her previous novels was too "small". He wants to write about these real heroes who have been barefoot in Nanyang for hundreds of years. He hopes to spread the spirit he sees through his novels.
In this way, Lao She worked and saved money. He finally raised enough travel expenses, returned to China, and got a teaching post in cheeloo university. After Lao She returned to China, she was closer to human sufferings, and the patriotism in the article became more and more obvious. In his novel Daming Lake, he described the tragic experience of a mother and daughter and wrote the fate of his home country. Lao She sent the manuscript to Shanghai Commercial Press. Just as it was about to be published, the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895 broke out, and the Japanese bombed the business publishing house, including Lao She's novel, without even leaving a word. Three years later, Lao She rewrote Daming Lake, but in the end he only wrote a few fragments, namely, Crescent Moon and Black and White Plum.
From the fall of the three northeastern provinces in 193 1 to the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese War in 1932, Lao She set out to complete the fable novel A Tale of Cat City, hoping that through the tragedy of Cat City, people at that time would wake up and cheer up. In this way, Lao She's works are maturing in constant exploration.
The success of Camel Xiangzi is the peak of Lao She's artistic creation. Lao She spent half a year collecting materials and was fascinated. He realized: "everything on the driver's appearance must have a basis in life and life. I must find this root to write about this hard-working society. " In this way, a novel about foreign rickshaw pullers matured in Lao She's mind. A strong desire to write made Lao She write at his desk all day, and Camel Xiangzi fired Lao She's "first shot as a professional writer".
1937, War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression broke out, and Lao She became the most active literary practitioner in the Anti-Japanese War. The country is in danger, but some cities in China are still in the luxury of "gambling without prohibition and selling cigarettes". National literary and art workers gathered in Wuhan, where Lao She met Mr. Guo Moruo, Mao Dun and Yu Dafu. They all wanted to prevent the nation from continuing to fall, and decided to set up the "All-China Anti-Enemy Association of Literary and Art Circles" in Wuhan. Lao She was elected as executive director (actual director) for a term of 8 years. He is the backbone of the All-China Anti-Enemy Association of Literary and Art Circles. Under his influence, patriotic literati unanimously opened a period of great unity among China literati, which played a great role in the survival of the country.
Lao She paid unimaginable time and energy, and also suffered great pain. He immersed himself in the torrent of War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and worked hard. Not to mention the enemy's air raid harassment, noisy environment, disrupted Lao She's life law, disrupted his work and rest time, and more or less affected his writing. Lao She didn't complain. He understands the cruelty of war and realizes the pain it brings to people.
/kloc-in the winter of 0/940, Lao She was dizzy from writing a script, and anemia was caused by overwork and malnutrition for a long time. Due to the vagrancy and improper diet during the Anti-Japanese War, the disease always followed him. Whenever pain and illness hit, Lao She also knew that he should rest or eat some blood-enriching food. However, with the price rising, the manuscript fee does not rise, and the life of literati becomes very difficult. Lao She didn't stop writing because of illness and poverty. As long as he can struggle, he will pick up the pen in his hand and start writing. He didn't put it down until he was dizzy.
In the spring of this year, Yang Zhensheng, member of the Standing Committee and Secretary-General of National Southwest Associated University and professor of Chinese Department, sent a letter to Lao She inviting him to teach Chinese at National Southwest Associated University, which was flatly rejected by Lao She. He doesn't want to delay the work of the "Literary Federation" because of teaching, and he doesn't want to live up to everyone's expectations easily, and he doesn't want to delay his writing and writing for a fixed income. For Lao She, the pen is his weapon, his capital and his life. He always puts writing first. His writing is sincere and not utilitarian. Even in the most difficult moment, he can't put down his pen.
The high patriotic enthusiasm promoted the continuous innovation of his literary concept, and Four Generations under One roof was born. The Anti-Japanese War made Lao She's writing scope break through the previous citizen life. He focused on the social phenomenon behind the Anti-Japanese War: the Kuomintang was passive in resisting Japan, and officials took the opportunity to make a fortune. Lao She described these phenomena in the form of satire.
From 65438 to 0949, Lao She returned to his hometown-Beijing. He has deep feelings for Beijing. After going through the old times, he regarded Beijing as a treasure, devoted himself to a new life and rekindled his creative passion. Yi Shu, the son of Lao She, said in an interview that the most precious quality he inherited from his father was diligence. "I think it is a very happy thing to be born around him and be influenced by him." He used such words to express his feelings with his father.
This is also the case. Lao She exerts a subtle influence not only on his son and his family, but also on the independence, pragmatism, realism and patriotism of the new ideal citizen in Lao Zhang's philosophy, the conservative, cowardly, cautious and peaceful style of the Qi family, and the despair, humility and hard work of Xiangzi's bottom citizens in Camel Xiangzi. He walked along the road of civilian literature and art to the glorious art palace, and finally became a banner in the literary world and a real people's artist.