To Live (novel)


To Live is a novel written by Chinese novelist Yu Hua in 1993. It follows the life of Xu Fugui as he transforms from the selfish idling son of a wealthy landowner to a solitary peasant during the Chinese Communist Revolution.
The story begins with the narrator traveling through the Chinese countryside to collect folk songs and local legends when he hears an old peasant's life story, which encompasses major historical events in China. Over the course of the story, Fugui describes witnessing the deaths of all his family members and loved ones. The literature techniques Yu applies in the story reveal both the struggles and hope of the laypeople aroused sympathy and recognition from the public when it was published.
The book was originally published in the Shanghai literary journal Harvest. A film rendition, directed by Zhang Yimou, was released in 1994. The novel has also been adapted into a television series and stage play.
Since its publication, the novel has transcended cultural boundaries, becoming a cornerstone of modern Chinese literature recognized worldwide. Its translations into over a dozen languages have introduced global audiences to the complexities of Chinese history and the universal struggles of humanity. The novel’s themes continue to inspire discussions on resilience and the human condition.

Author

To Live, often regarded as his magnum opus, reflects Yu Hua’s ability to intertwine personal tragedies with historical upheavals. Inspired by the resilience of ordinary individuals, the novel remains a cornerstone of modern Chinese literature, establishing Yu Hua as a powerful voice in capturing the human condition.

Inspiration

Yu Hua was inspired and deeply moved by the American folk song "Old Black Joe". The song, written by Stephen Foster in the 19th century, reflects themes of nostalgia, loss, and resilience. These sentiments deeply resonated with Yu Hua, inspiring him to create a story that similarly portrays the quiet endurance of ordinary individuals amidst life’s adversities. The song’s simple yet profound message became a guiding metaphor for Fugui’s life journey in To Live.
Yu Hua’s inspiration for To Live also stems from his personal experiences growing up in a rapidly changing China. Witnessing societal upheavals and the resilience of those around him, he sought to capture the essence of survival and dignity in his writing. These observations, combined with the universal themes of ‘Old Black Joe,’ laid the foundation for this powerful narrative.

Background

The novel describes a series of tragedies based on the context, including Chinese civil war, the Land Reform, Great Leap Forward, Great Chinese Famine, Three-anti and Five-anti Campaigns, and the Cultural Revolution. It allows the readers to see the cruelty of war, witnesses the deified Chinese political figures, thoughts, and movements. Covered by Mao's government propaganda, the deployed innovative farming techniques encountered failure and led to mass starvation and death, along with various political campaigns and struggles. Ordinary people like Fugui were the greatest casualties.

Characters

  • The Narrator "I": A popular folk song collector who comes to the countryside where Fugui lives. He listens to Fugui's story and records it.

    Xu family

  • Xu Fugui ；徐福貴)
The protagonist of the book. As the son of a landlord, Fugui spends his youth in a luxurious lifestyle and only devotes to gambling and interacting with prostitutes. After Fugui gambles away everything and goes through all the hardships, he becomes an honest and caring peasant. The story also talks about how events such as the Great Leap and Cultural Revolution have affected Fugui's and the Xu's life. At the end of the story, Fugui is alone with the only ox in the field.
Yu Hua commented Fugui as "After going through much pain and hardship, Fugui is inextricably tied to the experience of suffering. So there is really no place for ideas like 'resistance' in Fugui's mind—he lives simply to live. In this world I have never met anyone who has as much respect for life as Fugui. Although he has more reason to die than most people, he keeps on living."
The tragedy of Xu Fugui's life primarily stems from his incorrect outlook on life. He failed to appreciate and cherish wealth, developed many bad habits, and disregarded his family's advice. He squandered his fortune in casinos, eventually leading him into extreme poverty. Even after falling into hard times, Xu Fugui did not change his habits. As a result, his life spiraled into a vicious cycle, leading to the death of his parents, wife, and children. In the end, he was left alone, living a numb and poor existence. This tragic outcome is a result of Xu Fugui's failure to establish a correct worldview and values, his laziness, and his inability to save his family after they fell into poverty. He even used fate as an excuse to cover for his own mistakes.
  • Jiazhen ；陳家珍
Fugui's wife, Fengxia, and Youqing's mother. Jiazhen is the daughter of the rice merchant Chen Ji. After Fugui loses all family fortunes, Jiazhen leaves at the beginning. But after knowing Fugui quits gambling, she comes back to support Fugui, bears all hardships and hard work with Fugui, no matter what kind of challenge is in front of them. She is a kind-hearted and tenacious woman who has never made a complaint despite all the struggles and hardships, but she dies of soft bone disease under the loss of both her son and daughter.
Jiazhen is a crucial character in the story, portrayed as a strong woman who not only supports her husband through difficult times but also embodies maternal love and responsibility amidst a life full of hardships. Her character highlights the role of women in the family, with her resilience and sacrificial spirit holding profound significance in the novel. The love story between her and Fugui also reflects the emotional challenges within family life. However, despite the many admirable qualities Yu Hua endows her with, Jiazhen's character is often depicted as secondary to Fugui's. Throughout the story, she lacks independent thoughts and a life of her own, and her existence appears to revolve around Fugui. This portrayal of Jiazhen reflects a feudal female image, underscoring the oppressive influence of the feudal mentality that perpetuates the notion of highlighting the societal constraints imposed on women.
  • Xu Fengxia ；徐鳳霞)
Fugui and Jiazhen's daughter, Youqing's elder sister. Fengxia becomes deaf and mute because of a fever, but she is just as beautiful and kind-hearted as her mother. This diligent and caring girl later gets happily married to Erxi. However, only after a short period of happiness, she dies while giving birth to their son Kugen.
  • Xu Youqing ；徐有慶)
Fugui and Jiazhen's son. Because of the poor family situation, Youqing learns to take responsibility and help out the family as a child. The long distance between school and home makes him a great runner and makes his gym teacher loves him a lot. This kind boy later dies of donating too much blood to the magistrate's wife.
  • Wan Erxi ；萬二喜)
Fengxia's husband. Erxi is a construction worker who has a crooked head. This quiet and honest man is deeply in love with his wife Fengxia, and after her death, he decides to only live for their son. Erxi later dies in a construction accident.
  • Kugen
Fengxia and Erxi's son. After both of his parents' deaths, Kugen starts to live with his grandfather Fugui and still cannot escape from poverty. He dies choking on beans Fugui prepared for him.

Other characters

  • Long Er
A gambler who comes after the Japanese surrender. He takes Mr. Shen's place as the top gambler in the town. After Fugui loses all his property to him, he also takes away the Xu family's house. Long Er is finally executed during the Chinese Land Reform Movement as a landlord.
  • Chunsheng
A young boy Fugui meets on the battlefield. Fugui and Chunsheng has good friendship with each other. He later becomes the county Magistrate. In order to save his wife, who is the principal of Youqing, students are forced to donate their blood. Youqing dies because of being taken too much blood. He tries so hard to achieve Fugui and Fengxia's forgiveness. In the later story, Chunsheng is labeled as anti-government. He then commits suicide during the Cultural Revolution.
  • Old Quan
A veteran soldier Fugui meets in the cannon battalion. He used to be a deserter who ran away seven times. Though once he escapes from one unit, he can be captured by other units sooner than later. Old Quan, Fugui, and Chunsheng support each other when the unit is surrounded by the Liberation Army. He is killed by a straying bullet on the battlefield.
  • Team Leader
The one who is in charge of the production and management of the village. He is implicated in the Cultural Revolution. He also is the matchmaker of Fengxia and Erxi's marriage.
  • "FuGui" The Ox
This old ox Xu Fugui buys after begging for the butcher's mercy. Thus "Fugui" the ox, as a survivor of the butcher's knife, is actually a stand-in for Xu Fugui himself as a survivor of brutal reality and oppressions.

Synopsis

To Live includes 11 chapters in total and one preface from Yu Hua.

Chapter 1

While collecting popular folk songs in the countryside, the narrator "I" meets an old man named Xu Fugui, who talks to a plowing ox. He yells the names of six or seven oxen with only one ox present, so "I" talk to him and start a conversation about his past story. As the son of the landlord, Fu Gui says he is a prodigal son of the Xu family. He spends most of his life in gambling dens and brothels. He also treats his pregnant wife Jia Zhen badly. She kneels and begs Fu Gui to come home, and he chooses to have Jiazhen thrown out.