Abstract: Satire art has always been a highlight of Fortress Besieged. This paper discusses the embodiment of satirical art in Fortress Besieged from four aspects: characters, plot development, detail description, satirical techniques and language characteristics. Fortress Besieged satirizes all aspects of social life with the clues of characters' activities, and its profound irony is naturally revealed through the development of the plot and meticulous details, without giving people a hint of affectation. At the same time, its satirical techniques are flexible and diverse, and metaphors, allusions, metaphors and reasoning abound. Ironic language is even more humorous, sharp and spicy, which is amazing.
Keywords: "Fortress Besieged" satirical art details description
Lu Xun said: "comedy is to tear up worthless things for people to see." Qian Zhongshu's "Fortress Besieged" tore the hypocritical face of brilliant academic qualifications. Through the description of Fang Hung-chien and a group of people around him, from the bustling Shili foreign exchange to the closed San Lv University, and from the overseas students living in China, the works satirize the intellectual's mental dilemma with exaggerated cartoons, revealing that life is like a "besieged city", "People outside the city want to rush in and people in the city want to escape.
As far as satire in the history of China literature is concerned, Lu Xun is pungent and humorous, Lao She is deep and gentle, Sha Ting is heavy and vigorous, Zhang Tianyi is cold and sharp, and Qian Zhongshu's satirical art is unique. His education in ancient and modern Chinese and western cultures, his astute and energetic personal temperament and his thorough and rich learning thinking make his satirical novels have a very distinctive and unique personality. Sometimes it stands out from the crowd; Sometimes, the use of metaphor is full of fun, from China's The Scholars to Mark? Twain-style irony has formed a sharp, spicy and humorous irony feature. This satirical art in Fortress Besieged is mainly reflected in the following aspects:
1. satirize all aspects of social life with Fang Hung-chien as the activity clue.
Fortress Besieged does not run through the main plot, but runs through the whole article with Fang Hung-chien's activities. Through Fang Hung-chien's continuous escape from the besieged castle or rushing in, he shows the people and things he met after studying abroad and returning to China. The author satirizes every character in the work to varying degrees. Fang Hung-chien is ignorant, incompetent and cowardly, while Su pretends to be indifferent and narcissistic, regardless of shame and mercenary. Gao Songnian is a sophisticated liar, faking, surreal and hostile to his subordinates' wives. He runs the school according to the principles of biology. On the surface, Li is a prostitute, selling medicinal materials and going whoring. There are also female college students who swear behind their backs and are good at using various excuses to gain men's feelings, who are guided by fake writers' inscriptions and books, who have been transformed into "capitalist lackeys" by teachers, and who call themselves "old-fashioned", dressed strangely, and moved around with dozens of articles. After leaving their jobs, their husbands who were falsified did not ask about politics. You have to find your own happiness. Changing lovers is as casual as changing clothes. You went abroad to study medicine and learned that you can't get pregnant. The characters in Fortress Besieged are all kinds, which really achieves the author's purpose of writing some kind of "basic roots of hairless biped".
In the process of displaying the characters, the author lost no time in mocking and satirizing official corruption, government incompetence, academic hypocrisy and social backwardness. Qian Zhongshu's brushwork touched the ugliness of politics, banking, press and business in Shili Foreign Exchange, and also described the ridiculous and despicable life of the residents. The works also involve the muddy water in a small county in the south of the Yangtze River and all the way from Zhejiang to Hunan, showing the hardships of the journey, the chaos of the Anti-Japanese War and various touching exposures. The novel also reveals all kinds of shady scenes of the so-called national universities in free zones, such as poor school conditions, low teaching quality, backward students' consciousness, scum in education, speculative politicians and hypocrites flooding the campus, and writes that "being a teacher" is to strive for profit and success. "The school library is like an old-fashioned charity that cherishes words." "There are no more than 1000 books in the library, and most of them are old, bad and worn-out Chinese textbooks, which are left over from schools closed because of the war." All these reflect that social life is quite broad. Qian Zhongshu satirized these social phenomena from the height of philosophy. His satire has gone far beyond that society and that era.
Second, irony is naturally revealed through the development of the plot and the details of the sculptor.
Fortress Besieged vividly exposes the humble souls of the characters through their ridiculous faces, which makes the work receive a good comedy effect. For example, the description of the protagonist Fang Hung-chien's return from overseas is very wonderful: Fang Hung-chien returned from overseas, "returning home dressed in gold", which quite shocked the small county town in his hometown. First, he published news in the newspaper, and then he was invited back to his alma mater to give an academic report on "The Influence of Western Culture in the History of China". Fang Hung-chien said this: "After hundreds of years of Haitong, there were only two things left in China society, one was opium and the other was syphilis, both of which were western civilizations absorbed by the Ming Dynasty. \ "\" Opium has inspired many literary works. Ancient poets seek inspiration from wine, while modern European and American poets get inspiration from opium. Syphilis genetically produces idiocy, madness and disability, but it is said that it can also stimulate genius. The screenwriter did not comment on Dr. Fang's macro theory, but put Dr. Fang's ignorant and absurd image on the paper, which made people feel ridiculous. Qian Zhongshu satirized the so-called \ "western civilization \" through Fang Hung-chien's absurd macro theory, that is, the \ "civilization \" advocated by imperialism is nothing more than opium and syphilis. Judging from the whole article, there are not many comments on Fang Hung-chien. Through the development of the plot, it is natural to point the finger at the personality weakness of people like Fang Hung-chien and point to the cultural environment and social and political environment.
Qian Zhongshu is also good at grasping the details of irony. Jun Shen Ming claimed that he hated women's myopia and glasses most in his life, because he was afraid to see women's faces clearly. At the same time, he claimed that he was only natural, and there was no animality in human nature. However, when talking to Sue, he was so excited that he "threw the glass straight into the milk cup with his nose". The vivid description of this detail undoubtedly vividly depicts the hypocritical appearance of Jun Shen Ming. After being abandoned by Miss Bao, Fang Hung-chien became very close to Miss Su. Liu, the waiter, is very bitter because he can't get money when he lives with him. Seeing this, he was surprised, so he sprayed a thick spit into the spittoon. A word "spit" indicates the depth of resentment, and a word "beat" indicates speed and strength. Liu Jiuxu's complex and intense emotional movements are vividly displayed, with both form and spirit, which is of commemorative significance. Gao Songnian and Fang Hung-chien talked for the first time. Gao Songnian broke his word and played tricks on the teacher with political skills. First, he took advantage of the postal chaos during the Anti-Japanese War, boldly lied, and looked at Fang Hung-chien with a brave eye, but felt that it was all his own fault. The man who broke his word became a gentleman who was serious about his work, only focused on real talent and learning, and was good at caring for others, while the victim was extremely ashamed. Commenting on the new poem, Cao Yuanlang said: "It is unfortunate that the poem refers to something without seeking its meaning." These words made a sharp satire on some new poems, without seeking their meaning or meaning, which was meaningless, and the satire on new poems at that time was quite mean. These details have achieved a good ironic effect.
Thirdly, irony is flexible and diverse.
The satirical techniques in Fortress Besieged are flexible and varied, and metaphors, allusions, comparisons and inferences are sharp-edged everywhere, achieving a nearly perfect satirical effect.
As an expert in Chinese and Western studies, the author used a lot of Chinese and foreign cultural and literary allusions in Fortress Besieged. From China's Art of War in the Book of Songs in the pre-Qin Dynasty to Tongguang poems in the Qing Dynasty, from Aesop's fables and Arabian Nights in ancient Greece to American anecdotes and famous French sentences. In addition to literature, the content of allusions also involves philosophy, religion, art of war, medicine, biology and other knowledge. For example, in the eighth chapter, the boss of the office controls the skills of his subordinates, learns from westerners to drive donkeys, hangs a bunch of carrots on the donkey's mouth, and lures the donkey to go forward desperately. This is a wonderful pen from "Lena Solitaire" in France. When Fang Hung-chien bought a fake diploma, he quoted Plato's Republic and Confucius and Mencius to defend himself. He thinks that buying a diploma deceives his parents, and "a dutiful son and a good husband should try to support his ambition." Here, a few Chinese and western allusions are used to describe Fang Hung-chien's self-mockery and self-deception. Increased the power of irony and criticism.
The metaphors in Fortress Besieged have a wide range of sources, are unconventional and have profound philosophical meanings, which make people laugh frequently and understand profound truth at the same time. For example, "a person's shortcomings are like a monkey's tail." When the monkey squats on the ground, its tail is invisible until it climbs the tree, so it will be offered to the public to pay tribute, but this red head and long tail is a new sign that it is not a status climber. " This parable with the flavor of aphorism thoroughly mocked and satirized Gao Songnian's bad nature after he climbed to the position of principal. Another example is that Fang Hung-chien and his party took a bus from Ningbo to Jinhua, which was bumpy and uncomfortable all the way. The author wrote that the classic car is full of fun: "This car has been through the dust for a long time and should have celebrated its old age, but it was not convenient to retire during the Anti-Japanese War. Machines have no temperament, and this car, relying on the old to sell the old, has developed into an unruly, eccentric and unpredictable character. Sometimes he looks like a big bureaucrat, sometimes he looks like a little girl, and rude drivers don't understand. When it started, it coughed in front and became discouraged in the back, so it jumped up, causing the passengers to stagger and shout in unison ... Run a mile or two at a time, ... Can you go the way ahead? He was very angry and refused to leave, so the bus driver had to get off and dredge the front of the car for a long time. He picked up a lump of mud by the roadside and invited him to enjoy it. He wobbled like a drunk. "Here, the author compares the old car to an arrogant bureaucrat and a unruly girl. Imagination is wonderful, fresh and unique. It not only describes the broken car incisively and vividly, but also uglifies the bureaucrats and girls, which has a sense of cynicism. Another example is a prostitute: "I suddenly found Mr. Gu's attention and smiled at it. My mouth is full of bright red root meat, and the pieces are uneven like the mind of a knight. " How can "root meat" be like "brain"? But come to think of it, don't all knights love to be attacked? It turns out that this is a metaphor for uneven meat, which is really unexpected. Another example is "where there are chickens and ducks, there are more feces, and where there are women, there are more smiles", "Telephone calls are lazy visits and stingy communication" and so on. This novel and unique metaphor can be seen everywhere, which is refreshing and thought-provoking.
Fortress Besieged is also good at commenting with satirical metaphors, which makes people laugh. It can be seen that the author is knowledgeable and experienced. For example, Fang Hung-chien couldn't stand the attack of his father-in-law and understood the importance of a diploma. The article commented: "this diploma seems to have the function of Adam and Eve's lower body lobe, which can cover up shame and ugliness;" A small piece of paper can cover up a person's emptiness, ignorance and stupidity. He doesn't have a diploma, just like he is mentally naked and has no package. " This incisive comment, novel and profound, implicit and humorous, injected the author with strong emotional color and played the role of finishing touch.
Repetition is also used in Fortress Besieged, which enhances the artistry of satire. German philosopher Bergson said in an article about laughter: "Comedy is to imitate the mechanical actions of human beings. People often turn a blind eye to some common things, but after the author repeatedly describes its state, it makes it repeat an action like a heavy machine, which causes a sense of humor. Repetition in Fortress Besieged is very characteristic, which contains a bit of wit and humor. Miss Bao, who returned from studying abroad, is topless and pretentious. The novel compares her to cooked meat and smoked ham in delicatessens many times: "Because only delicatessens will display those warm meats in public places", and then the novel borrows the maxim "Truth is naked" to vividly describe Miss Bao's frivolous, sensual and bohemian habits, which makes people laugh.
In Fortress Besieged, the author can also compare unrelated things together, which seems irrelevant, but coincidentally, he can find similarities that others can't find, thus achieving a highly ironic effect. For example, it is written that prices in the Kuomintang-controlled areas have risen, "prices are like a kite with a broken line, and they are like fairies descending from the ground and rising straight from the ground." Fang Hung-chien and his party trudged through the mud and compared the mud scraped by everyone to "the land of corrupt officials". The irrelevant comparison between \ "price \" and \ "kite \", \ "shoe mud \" and \ "land \" expressed his hatred and contempt for such a filthy society at that time in a tortuous way. Although they didn't hit the current situation directly, the irony was beyond words. The proprietress who wrote about the restaurant: "She is full of fat nutrition, so fat, which shows that the food in this store is also nutritious. She sits next to the shopkeeper, which is a good advertisement. "The rich nutrition of food has nothing to do with the boss's fatness, but the author grasps the connection point of its connotation and uses rich associations to refer to the nutrition of food from a strange body. On the one hand, it highlights the ridiculousness of the boss's figure, on the other hand, it relates to the dishes they ordered, making readers laugh in the comparison before and after.
Fourth, the language is humorous, sharp and spicy.
The language in Fortress Besieged is unique, with sparks of humor and wisdom everywhere. Humor can be said to run through besieged city. Neither narrative nor comment makes vague accusations on the basis of truth, which makes people realize profound truth in satirical people and things. For example, if you want to go abroad for further study in Chinese, other subjects are all instilled from abroad, which is already full of foreign flavor. As long as Chinese is made in China and needs foreign signs, it can maintain its position. "The' foreign flavor' and' foreign levy' here are sharp and spicy, and the connotation of the new discipline is very sharp. In response, the swindler was advised to turn over a new leaf. The Irish people "kept cursing and drinking, looking forward to fighting with China people." The book joked that this was "the only victory since China had its own diplomacy or signed a commercial agreement." They used comic language to lament and satirize China's poverty and backwardness since the Opium War, which led to the failure of diplomacy. Besides satire, we can see the author's deep anxiety. Analyzing that people who think they are famous use pseudonyms, saying "I'm afraid that one pseudonym is too big to use, so I used several pseudonyms" and "I used several evasions" is just a sign of irresponsibility or doing bad things. The author mocked the unhealthy phenomenon of the proliferation of pseudonyms in the 1930s with sharp and mean language. Another example is the bickering between Fang Hung-chien and Zhao. The book says: "Fang Hung-chien may, as the battle report said these days,' save his strength and retreat strategically'. \' \' \' Save your strength and retreat strategically \' was originally a fig leaf for Kuomintang newspapers to hang in front of the Japanese aggressors and escape. Here, through the mouth of the characters, this fig leaf was opened for readers, revealing the filth inside and subtly exposing the reactionary policies of the Kuomintang. Examples like this can be seen everywhere. It can be said that the language of Fortress Besieged is full of humor and satire from time to time.
In a word, the satirical art of Fortress Besieged shows us a rich and unique new world. Behind the novel's unkindness and sarcasm to society, it also contains the author's longing for life. Through the fate of Fang Hung-chien, this paper analyzes the ugliness of the gloomy society at that time, and more importantly, it wants to awaken people who are struggling in the besieged city, break through the besieged city and embark on their own new road. Therefore, Qian Zhongshu's unique satirical art occupies an important position in the history of modern literature in China.
Main reference articles
1, Zhou Jinzhu's Fortress Besieged.
2. On the satirical art of Zhang Lili in Fortress Besieged.
3. On the satirical art of Fortress Besieged: Wu Guofen and Zhou.
4. On the satirical art of Fortress Besieged by Zhang Rufa.
5. On the Fable Art of Fortress Besieged
6. Comment on Huang Guobin's cynicism in Fortress Besieged.
7. On the satirical art of Fortress Besieged
8. Fortress Besieged and China's modern satirical novel Wang Weiping.
I hope this helps.