The conservative and selfish citizens are the epitome of the dross of traditional culture. For example, the old horse in Mali, doing business in London, still believes in Oriental Feng Shui in his bones. He is a businessman, but he despises businessmen. For example, Zhang Dage in Divorce believes in the golden mean and opposes divorce. He thinks that divorce is bad and is flattered by people's cheap flattery and catering. Another example is the old man Qi in Four Generations under One Family. He thought that he could survive the Japanese invasion with only three months' food, and sympathized with the Qian family, but he was afraid to visit.
New citizens have different pursuits and different personalities. The first kind of new citizens are the models of Lao She's ideal citizens, such as Qian, who have knowledge and ideals and dare to sacrifice and struggle. The second category is the tearful "middleman" in Lao She's works, such as Lao Li in Divorce and Qi Ruixuan in Four Generations under One roof. They have been baptized by the new western thoughts, but they are bound by China's traditional ethics and become various middlemen. The third category is ordinary people.
The bottom citizens are very common characters in Lao She's works. They are humiliated, which is a typical humiliation. They represent the contradiction between survival and ethics-for example, my mother and I are struggling at the bottom of society in a crescent moon, and my mother tries her best to let me learn knowledge and culture, while my knowledge and reward are empty, but I have embarked on my mother's old road when my survival conflicts with my ideals. Xiangzi camel is also a typical example. Although these low-level citizens are humble and insignificant, their psychological activities, words and deeds show Lao She's deep hope for life. Through them, Lao She showed people the horror of the old society and conveyed her positive values.