(1) The first half mainly describes the miserable life of rural farmers in Northeast China under the oppression of landlords at that time. The "field of life and death" here refers to the dark situation in which farmers at the bottom of society are forced to struggle on the edge of life and death in order to survive and have enough food and clothing.
(2) The second half of the work mainly describes that after the Japanese invaders occupied the Northeast, the exploited and oppressed peasants had another heavy yoke-the violent plunder and killing by the Japanese army. The "field of life and death" here means that in the face of national disaster, farmers are forced to make an independent call to join the anti-Japanese army instead of being conquered people in order to live a better life.
In this novel, Xiao Hong expresses her views on life:
People are born with primitive and powerful wild power, and when this power awakens, it can give people unlimited potential.
People should have a clear goal in life, strive to get rid of the shackles of heavy external pressure, pursue freedom and yearn for freedom, instead of living in the world in ignorance, so that life will be more meaningful and more magnificent poems will be written.