Author: Cao Yu

Thunderstorm is Cao Yu's first artistic life, and it also marks the maturity of modern drama. The publication of Thunderstorm shocked the literary world. At this time, Cao Yu was only 22 years old. In addition, his four classic masterpieces Thunderstorm, Sunrise, Yuan Ye and Peking Man all appeared on thousands of stages in various ways and were deeply interpreted by different people.

Thunderstorm makes full use of the "three unifications". The story of eight characters from two families in just one day involves past grievances, and it is still confusing. In the narrow stage, it not only highlights the contradiction between ethics and class, but also highlights the strong disharmony between individuals and the environment and the times, and completes the characterization in various fierce conflicts. In fact, tragedy has long been lurking in every line and every foreshadowing, and it only broke out at the last minute, turning into a downpour, which shocked everyone's soul extremely strongly.

The script is characterized by gripping plot, concise and implicit language, distinctive characters and extremely rich subtext. Like a sharp sword, it glides slowly on the reader's heartstrings, and the lingering sound does not stop.

Thunderstorm information

1July, 934, Thunderstorm was first published in the Literary Quarterly edited by Ba Jin.

1April, 935, China Drama Association (drama group for students studying in Japan) premiered for three times in the Kandahashi lecture hall in Tokyo, Japan. Wu Wei is a director.

In August of the same year, the Solo Troupe of Tianjin Normal School performed Thunderstorm in the school auditorium, which was China's first performance. Subsequently, Shanghai Fudan Drama Club performed Thunderstorm directed by Ou Yangyuqian. At the same time, China's first professional drama group, China Travel Troupe, performed Thunderstorm in Tianjin, Shanghai and Nanjing successively.

1936, Japan published the Japanese version of Thunderstorm. In the same year, Yao translated Thunderstorm into English and published it by Tianxia Monthly.

1938, Shanghai Xinhua Film Company filmed Thunderstorm.

1944, Jin Guangzhou translated Thunderstorm into Korean and gave 70 performances in Seoul. In the same year, it was translated into Vietnamese and performed in Vietnam.

From 65438 to 0947, Taiwan Province Audience Performance Company performed Thunderstorm in Taipei.

February 1954, The Actor Troupe of Shanghai Film Studio performed Thunderstorm, directed by Zhao Dan, with actors Wang and Wang Yi.

1June, 954, Thunderstorm was performed by Beijing People's Art Theatre, directed by, with actors such as,, Su Min,, Silent, Lv En, Hu Zongwen, Dong,.

1956, Thunderstorm was performed in Singapore Art Theatre, directed by Lynne.

1957, Thunderstorm was staged in nine theaters in the Soviet Union, with more than 2,000 performances.

1959165438+1October, Singapore Art Troupe performed Thunderstorm.

198 1 year, Shanghai Ballet adapted Thunderstorm for ballet performance.

From 65438 to 0984, Shanghai Film Studio filmed Thunderstorm again, directed by Sun Daolin, with actors such as Sun Daolin, Gu and Qin Yi.

1988 February, Singapore Practical Troupe performed Thunderstorm, and Xia Chun went to Singapore to direct the play for the troupe.

1999 10 Beijing People's Art Theatre will arrange Thunderstorm again, directed by Zhou Tiezhen, Pu Cunxin, Zheng Tianwei and Gong.

Interpretation & gt

background

Thunderstorm was written on 1933. Two years ago, the September 18th Incident of Japanese invasion of China just broke out. The whole country set off an anti-Japanese upsurge. Cao Yu also actively participated in anti-Japanese propaganda. Lu Dahai in Thunderstorm is the shadow of a thoughtful and intelligent young worker Cao Yu met in Baoding.

At that time, many excellent plays by Ibsen, a famous Norwegian writer, which exposed social darkness and pursued the liberation of human nature and women, had been introduced to China. Ibsen's thought had a great influence on Cao Yu. His graduation thesis in Tsinghua University was on Ibsen written in English. In addition, the plays of Shakespeare and ancient Greece also had a far-reaching influence on Cao Yu.

Description of natural scenery and portraits

Thunderstorm pays special attention to sound and color effects, and does not hesitate to express it with strong colors. At the same time, pay attention to the exaggerated treatment of the voice, smell and eyes of the characters.

The image of Fan Yi

Yi Fan is the most distinctive and distinctive figure in Thunderstorm. She is a new female representative who pursues women's liberation and strives for independence and freedom since the May 4th Movement. She dares to love and hate, fearing that the Zhou family doesn't care. Of course, her resistance to the old system was manifested in a deformed way. Under heavy pressure, she is often helpless, inferior and even self-abused. This is a weakness that Fan Yi cannot get rid of.

Two sides of Zhou Chong

Zhou Chong is a young man who grew up under the influence of new ideas and new culture. He is naturally full of fantasy and romance. However, his tenacity and lack of stubborn understanding of the feudal system doomed his tragic fate.

Lu Dahai's character

Lu Dahai is a young worker with thoughts and actions. He is straightforward, simple but clear-headed. As a representative of workers, he fought resolutely with Zhou Puyuan, showing his rebellious spirit. But after all, Cao Yu is not familiar with workers, so the image of Lu Dahai is thinner than others.

Cao Yu (19 10- 1997) is an outstanding modern dramatist in China. Wan Jiabao, a native of Qianjiang, Hubei Province, was born in a declining feudal bureaucratic family in Tianjin. I participated in drama activities while studying in Nankai Middle School in Tianjin, and once played the leading role in Ibsen's A Doll's House and other plays. From 65438 to 0929, he was admitted to the Foreign Languages Department of Tsinghua University, covering a wide range, from ancient Greek tragedies to Shakespeare's plays, as well as the plays of Chekhov, Ibsen and O 'Neill. 1933 On the eve of college graduation, Cao Yu created a four-act drama Thunderstorm, which was published the following year and quickly aroused strong repercussions. It is not only Cao Yu's first work, but also his famous work and masterpiece. 1936 and 1937, Cao Yu published his important plays Sunrise and Yuan Ye respectively. Cao Yu's important play during the Anti-Japanese War was Peking Man. After the founding of New China, Cao Yu's plays mainly include Liang Jian and Wang Zhaojun. Thunderstorm, in one day (from morning till night) and two scenes (Zhou Jia and Lujia), shows the intricate contradictions and conflicts between Zhou Jia and Lujia in the past 30 years, and shows the rigorous and exquisite dramatic structure skills of the work. In the play, cicadas and frogs are heard repeatedly, and the weather is sultry before and after the thunderstorm. Its intention is not only to render the "hot" atmosphere in the hot summer, but also to imply the emotions, psychology and personality of the characters.

What is more commendable is the language of the play: First of all, Thunderstorm is written in highly personalized language-from its lines, the audience (readers) can hear (see) the age, gender, status, personality and psychology of each character; Secondly, the language in Thunderstorm has a strong lyrical flavor-its language comes from the characters' hearts and has a strong emotional color, and the lines in some occasions (such as Zhou Chong's lines about Sifeng's ideal future in the third act) are lyric poems without branches. Thunderstorm, with its vivid and delicate language, fully demonstrates the charm of drama as an art of speaking.

It appeared on thousands of stages with various appearances, and was deeply interpreted and interpreted by different people, pushing China's plays to the most sensational peak in history.

193 1 year, when the September 18th Incident broke out, Tsinghua University students organized an anti-Japanese propaganda team to carry out anti-Japanese propaganda, with Cao Yu as the propaganda captain. June 65438+ 10/October 65438+In the early morning of February this year, he and his classmates from the propaganda team went to Baoding by train to publicize. On the train, they met a burly man named Zhao, a worker at Changxindian Iron Works. He praised the students' anti-Japanese actions, saying: Japan's occupation of the three northeastern provinces of China is like cutting a piece of meat on our country. Mom is very painful and sad. Whoever cuts my mother's flesh will fight him! Cao Yu sincerely admires the patriotic spirit of the worker's eldest brother. He remembered the drama Thunderstorm that he was conceiving, and a distinctive character image gradually became clear in his mind.

Cao Yu led the Tsinghua University Anti-Japanese Propaganda Team to conduct anti-Japanese propaganda in Baoding Yude Middle School, and performed plays such as The Moon Rises. This drama, which depicts people on the Songhua River in Northeast China covering the crossing of the anti-Japanese armed members, was warmly welcomed by teachers and students. There is an iron factory near Yude Middle School. Cao Yu is discussing with the workers in the factory. The simple image and vivid language of the worker Cao Yu met in the car and the worker surnamed Zhao merged into Lu Dahai in Thunderstorm. How many days and nights, in the western language reading room of Tsinghua University Library and by the river of Tsinghua campus, Cao Yu was fascinated by the creation of Thunderstorm. After pondering and writing for half a year, Cao Yu finally finished the originality of Thunderstorm. Based on the China society around 1925, the play depicts the tragedy of a bourgeois family with strong feudal color. It was August 1933. Cao Yu was about to graduate from Tsinghua University and was hired as a teacher of Baoding Yude Middle School.

During his stay in Yude Middle School, he finally perfected the script. Yude Middle School is a complete middle school founded by Chen Youyun, a member of the League, on the basis of the former public higher primary school of Neigong Temple in Zhili in June 1907+0 17. In June 19 17, French preparatory classes such as work-study programs were added, and in June 193 1, advanced general education courses were added. The school requires science teachers to teach in English so that students can reach the pre-university level when they graduate. In this way, English class is quite important. Cao Yu was hired as an English teacher in Yude Middle School, teaching Lin Yutang's Enlightened English Reader, English Masterpieces and English Essays. Before teaching in Yude Middle School, he sent the script of Thunderstorm to Literature Quarterly. A "Thunderstorm" made him think hard for nearly five years, painstakingly writing for half a year and changing five drafts. After writing, he handed the script to Jin Yi, a classmate of Nankai Middle School. Jin Yi and Ba Jin * * * are both responsible for soliciting contributions for the Literary Quarterly, and Zheng Zhenduo is the editor in chief. Jin Yi is very honest. He thought Cao Yu was his good friend, so he didn't have the guts to recommend the script of Thunderstorm to the editor-in-chief. The manuscript has been kept in the drawer of his desk. During this period, Cao Yu has been devoted to the teaching of Yude Middle School, but he has never let go of his beloved drama creation. So, six months later, he was admitted to Tsinghua University for further study with excellent results. Until he left Yude Middle School, his Thunderstorm still sank into the sea.

1one day in July, 934, Jin Yi and Ba Jin talked about the contribution of Literature Quarterly. Ba Jin said: We should pay attention to new people in the literary world and make greater achievements. In order to give Cao Yu's Thunderstorm to Ba Jin. Ba Jin finished reading that night and was deeply moved. He recommended the script to editor-in-chief Zheng Zhenduo and published it in the third issue of Literature Quarterly. Soon after, China students' new drama performance was staged in Tokyo, Japan, and Tokyo Kanda Joy Education Center released a Japanese translation of Thunderstorm, which became a best seller. Lu Xun was very excited when he read the Japanese translation of Thunderstorm. He told visiting American journalist Si Nuo that the best dramatists in China are Guo Moruo, Tian Han, Hong Shen and Cao Yu, a new left-wing dramatist. After watching the performance of Thunderstorm in Tokyo, Guo Moruo personally prefaced the Japanese version of Thunderstorm, saying that Thunderstorm is indeed a rare excellent work. Cao Yu jumped from an unknown young man to a superstar in China.

Thunderstorm makes full use of the "three unifications". The story of eight characters from two families in just one day involves past grievances, and it is still confusing. In the narrow stage, it not only highlights the contradiction between ethics and class, but also highlights the strong disharmony between individuals and the environment and the times, and completes the characterization in various fierce conflicts. In fact, tragedy has long been lurking in every line and every foreshadowing, and it only broke out at the last minute, turning into a downpour, which shocked everyone's soul extremely strongly.

The script is characterized by gripping plot, concise and implicit language, distinctive characters and extremely rich subtext. Like a sharp sword, it glides slowly on the reader's heartstrings, and the lingering sound does not stop.

The main characters in Thunderstorm

Fan Yi, Zhou Chong, Zhou Puyuan, Lu Shiping, Lu Sifeng, Zhou Ping, Lu Dahai, Gui Lu.

The main content of Thunderstorm

Thirty years ago, Zhou Puyuan fell in love with Mei Shiping, a maid, and gave birth to two sons. Later, in order to marry the right young lady (), the Zhou family drove Mei Shiping away on New Year's Eve, forcing her to keep her eldest son () and taking away her second son (), who was born three days ago and was seriously ill. Shi Ping was forced to throw herself into the river, but she was saved. Later, she married Gui Lu and gave birth to her daughter Sifeng. She changed her name to Lu Shiping and her son to Lu Dahai. Later, Lu Dahai came to work under Zhou Puyuan, and Sifeng worked as a maid in Zhoujiaguan.

Zhou Puyuan and his wife, Fan Yi, have a son, Zhou Chong, while Zhou Ping and Fan Yi had an incestuous relationship as early as three years ago. His drought-striken fields were very scared after waking up. He was anxious to get rid of Fan Yi and fell in love with and pursued Sifeng. Fan Yi was jealous, so she called Sifeng's mother, Shi Ping, and asked her to fire Sifeng. When Shi Ping came, she found that the owner here was Zhou Puyuan, so when they were alone, she caught his attention with a Wuxi accent and recognized her. Zhou Puyuan tried to bribe Shi Ping with money, but was rebuffed. Shi Ping suggested that he wanted to meet his drought-striken fields, and Zhou Puyuan agreed, refusing to do anything as a condition. At this time, workers on behalf of Lu Dahai came to negotiate with Zhou Puyuan. Later, Zhou Puyuan fired Guilou and Sifeng. Gui Lu swore at home, and Lu Dahai had a quarrel with him. Zhou Chong was ordered by his father to give Liu Jia 65,438,000 yuan. He had the cheek to accept it and gave Zhou Chong a warm reception. However, when the sea learned about this, it returned 65,438+000 yuan and drove Zhou Chong out of the house. Lu Shiping decided to take Sifeng away the next day, but his drought-striken fields found her. After being discovered by Lu Dahai, Lu Dahai tried to attack Zhou Ping and was saved by Shi Ping. Later,,, and clashed in the Zhou living room. Fan Yi humbly asked his drought-striken fields to take her away, but his drought-striken fields refused. Fan Yi tore up the photo of Shi Ping, and Gui Lu and Lu Dahai successively came in from the outside. Lu Dahai had a fierce conflict with his drought-striken fields alone in the living room. Lu Shiping came to Sifeng, only to learn that Sifeng and his drought-striken fields were pregnant. Lu Shiping told his drought-striken fields to take the four phoenixes away, which is irrelevant.

At this moment, Fan Yi came with Zhou Chong and made public the relationship between his drought-striken fields and Sifeng face to face, because Zhou Chong also likes Sifeng. His drought-striken fields clashed with Fan Yi, and Fan Yi called Zhou Puyuan in despair, exposing his relationship with his drought-striken fields. Zhou Puyuan thought that Fan Yi knew the identity of Shi Ping, so he called his drought-striken fields kowtowing to recognize his mother. Everyone present was stunned. Sifeng couldn't stand the blow and ran into the garden. Zhou Chong was electrocuted to save her. Lu Shiping couldn't cry in pain. Fan Yi cried and laughed. Zhou Ping shot himself in the study. FanYi and Zhou Puyuan ran into the study. Lu Shiping fainted on the ground.