The Chinese nation has its psychological peculiarities. It is classified as past-oriented, which implies supporting traditional values and behavior. In Chinese culture, religion, and social organization, settled patterns have been being passed on through numerous generations. An individual has to be obedient to the tradition, even against his own accord.
Another classification dimension is individualism/collectivism, which defines the rate of people’s unity in actions, taking decisions, and reaching goals. The Chinese people, like many Asian nations, are collectivistic, which is peculiar to socialistic societies and reflects the relation between the personality and the nation. Forcing to keep the social standards often causes much pain to a person who has an alternative worldview and values (Differences in Culture).
These cultural peculiarities have been inspiring Asian writers of all generations, from ancient times to the present. The protagonists of two outstanding stories, The Story of Stone and The Golden Age, are separated by hundreds of years. Nevertheless, they have much in common: both characters were young and full of eagerness for life, love, and happiness. And they both experienced the pressure of social unification, which brought much misery into their destinies.
Jia Baoyu, the protagonist of The Story of the Stone, felt dissonant to the traditions in society since his young years. He was not understood even by his family which considered him stubborn and spoilt, “…Bao-yu has inherited a perverse, intractable nature and is eccentric and emotionally unstable” (Cao 137). Baoyu’s willingness to communicate to the people of other classes, to enjoy nature and literature, and to be with his beloved girl instead of building a career and keeping the strict traditions led him to conflict with his environment.
Even after trying to fulfill the requirements of his father and getting an education, Jia Baoyu did not manage to adapt to the world of restrictions surrounding him. He escaped from his native places, getting the possibility to live according to his values and principles, and met the monks who sent him “where he came from” and explained to him the meaning of what he had experienced. To escape was his way of dealing with his desires and eagerness for freedom.
In The Story of the Rose, an individual did not manage to adapt to society. It is necessary to mention that this story was written in times when the social restrictions were extremely tough. However, it is interesting to compare it to the story which took place at the dawn of the cultural and sexual revolution in Chinese society.
The protagonist of The Golden Age, a 21-year old Wang Er, also suffered much from the confrontation between his young desires and restrictions of the then social order. This is a story about illegal relation between two young people who were punished by the government. It describes the feelings which overcame decades.
The philosophical tone of narration and incessant irony may give rise to the impression of the protagonists’ shallow feeling, “…One thing we do not see in The Golden Age is deep sexual obsession or the debilitating, fanatical emotions of love” (Larson). However, this assertion is completely demolished by the episodes of the characters’ meeting after 20 years of separation. To understand each other, to laugh and frolic together after these twenty years, beyond all doubt, means to love. This is confirmed by the last episode revealing Chen Qinguang’s secret and numerous expressions of the characters uniting their souls into a single substance: “… Chen Qinguang and I were connected, just like a pair of dolphins” (Xiaobo 104).
It is remarkable that this soul connection was the only point not described by Wang in his confessions. This is the perfect reflection of the “dominance and submission” situation in the society described. And the weapon chosen by Wang Er for this struggle is irony and philosophical contemplation.
The story presented by a mature narrator is full of jocular descriptions and ironic remarks. “Wang Er, you’ll never learn how to be good, you will always be a bastard!” (Xiaobo 98), and these words said by Chen Qinguang completely describe how the juvenile experience of living under pressure influenced the protagonist’s vision of life. When there is too much reason to cry, the only thing to do is to laugh.
The philosophical contemplation of Wang is also reflected by numerous remarks given by him to evaluate his young days. Having revised his life, Wang says, “After all, that was my golden age, even though I was considered a hooligan” (Xiaobo 111), and these words sound like the words of the human feelings’ victory upon restrictions and pressure”. Wang does not regret his destiny and keeps the memory of his young years as a treasure, and this means his complete liberation.
References
Cao, Xueqin. The Story of the Stone. Volume 1 “The Golden Days”. Trans. David Hawkes. London: Penguin Books, 1973. Print.
Differences in Culture. Analytic Technologies. 2010. Web.
Larson, Wendy. ”Wang in Love and Bondage: Three Novellas by Wang Xiaobo”. MCLC Resource Center. 2010. Web.
Xiaobo, Wang, Zhang Hongling, and Jason Sommer. Wang in Love and Bondage: Three Novellas. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press, 2007. Print.