Xu Yong: After a reflected life, it may also be a cover -about Zhang Xuedong's "Beet Expense"

After a reflected life, it may also be a shielding

—— About Zhang Xuedong's "Beet Expegant"

Xu Yong, a professor at the Chinese Department of Xiamen University, a doctoral supervisor, a doctorate in Chinese at Peking University, and a postdoctoral department of Chinese Department of Fudan University. Visit researcher of the Modern Literature Museum of China, a director of the Chinese Contemporary Literature Research Association, was selected as the "Southern Critical Critics" column. He has won the 2016 Outstanding Paper Award of Contemporary Writers, Outstanding Works Award of the China Contemporary Literature Research Association, and one second prize of the Zhejiang Philosophy and Social Science Excellent Achievement Award and Third Prize. Hosted 5 National Social Science Fund projects (including sub -topics). Publishing 4 academic monographs. Published more than 80 CSSCI journal papers in "Literature Review" and "Literature Research", mainly engaged in modern and contemporary literature research and literary criticism.

Wen | Xu Yong

"Beet Expegant" ("Contemporary" 2022) is one of the most recently written by Zhang Xuedong. The novel is based on the "curve overtaking" as the entry point, telling the irony comedy of a deputy dean named Ji Mingjiu in a 211 university in Northwest China. At the beginning of the novel, the protagonist was invited to give lectures in a local university in the province. On the way to driving, he encountered a small car accident: he overtaked in a hurry to catch up with the rear -end accident with the two cars before and after. Although this incident is an episode in the life of the protagonist, it is very symbolic. The reason for symbolic significance is because this "curve overtaking" incident constitutes an important symbol of the protagonist's introspection of his life in the first half of his life. He reflected and evaluated the advantages and disadvantages brought by his first half of his life's "curve overtaking" behavior. Based on this, although "curve overtaking" can bring the benefits of life, it is actually speculative. It constitutes a challenge to social order and is also a distortion of human nature. Everyone with a sense of conscience and justice responds to the "curve overtaking" behavior. At this time, there was a lecturer in the local college to evaluate the title. He sent him a local specialty late at night before the lecture. He wanted to publish a paper in the school's journal of their college through his hand. This line is very in line with the "curve overtaking" behavior he has identified, so he showed almost irrational resistance. Corresponding to this irrational is that the metaphor of the novel uses the "green orange skin face of the pimple" describes this lecturer.

On the surface, what this novel is focusing on is the tragedy and weakness of individual adherence. Xing Ming has always been contradictory and hesitant between adherence and succumbs, and his heart is full of pain and helplessness. It should be said that this is a problem that a noble and eager person will inevitably encounter when facing the muddy turbid world. Therefore, this can be said to be a rich and noble pain. In order to resist the academic bad atmosphere, painful struggle, and even no arbitration.

But if in -depth analysis, you will find that Jun Jiu Jiu is actually lacking reflection and self -knowledge. He is really a hypocritical and cowardly person. It is said that he lacks reflection and self -knowledge because he replaces the facts of the facts with preset judgments, thus avoiding the essence of the problem. If the end of the rear -end incident allows the protagonist to have the possibility of reflection and reflection on his life, the thesis incident makes the protagonist lose his ability to reflect on life and reflect on life. The protagonist firmly believes that the paper submitted through the late night gift is definitely garbage, so he always refuses to read. Even if the female students who are emphasis are considered considerable and have a certain value, they cannot change his original position. Xing Mingjiu's stubbornness is evident! As we all know, for the publication of the paper, the most important thing is not to take the shortcut, but the level of the thesis itself. It is precisely the protagonist's value preset hinders his normal reading. This value presets in the persistence of the "Hengqu Four Sentences" of academic mission (such as "Establishing the Heaven and the Earth") and the criticism of the phenomenon of "curve overtaking". He did not read the papers but labeled the value of the dissertation. This is a great irony. Therefore, it can be said to some extent that Xing Mingjiu was a victim of being abducted by morality. The paradox of Xi Mingjiu made us understand that in order to truly form a correct attitude towards life, we should not be confused by the appearance. We should see the essence of things.

Speaking of the long and cowardice of Xing Ming was because of his righteous rejection of the righteous words of "green oranges' faces", he had a compensatory liberation of his "curve overtaking" behavior. He felt that he and his wife Zhao Wan's relationship was weak, and there were not many topics that could communicate with each other. The reason why he was willing to marry Zhao Wan was his wife because he knew that his father had a great help to his career, and in fact, it was the help of his father -in -law that he successfully became the (deputy) dean of the college. The rear -end incident of the car made Xi Mingjiu theoretically that his original wife selection behavior was based on the logic of "curve overtaking". Therefore, it was even more difficult to release, and it was often a sense of sanctuary with the sacred mission of academics. However, he has neither the courage to conflict with his wife and unable to divorce his wife. This kind of unwilling and dare not dare to emotional depression, in his rejection of the essay author's moral advantage, can sooth out symbolic and compensatory. But he was not tired of his wife's unbearableness.

In the novel, the paper has repeatedly appeared in the life of Mingson for a long time as a strange "symbol." The first time was late at night before the lecture. At this time, he was drunk, and his female student accepted the paper, and at the same time received local specialties sent by the paper author. The second time was one day after returning to school. The third time is the dormitory of female students. "Green Orange Skin Face" threatens the female students and forced Xing Ming to read the paper for a long time. The fourth time, appeared in the office of Jingsujiu. "Green Orange Skin Face" found the boss of Qi Mingjiu, the vice president of the school, and once again sent the paper to Xing Mingjiu's hand. It can be said that the dissertation has appeared again and again, and then discarded, which constitutes the driving force of the story and a metaphor. It is the driving force of the story because the protagonist has repeatedly refused to read the thesis, and the author of the paper continues to repeatedly deliver, forming a wrestling relationship between the two. It is a metaphor that although the paper appeared many times and was eventually published in the publications edited by the protagonist, the protagonist never looked at it. The master who firmly believes that the author's speculation is to take a shortcut in the curve. Such a value preset hindered the protagonist to treat the paper correctly: He firmly believes that the paper is undoubtedly garbage, so he always refuses to read. This makes the paper constitute the image of "absence of the present", and the value preset mentioned earlier is used as "absence of the present", and the two form a control relationship. The novel is very tension and ironic. We often think that we have the truth and often use the moral adherence to ourselves, and we are convinced that we have the ability to reflect on things around us, but in fact: we are often covered by our self -righteousness. Is this the biggest sadness as an intellectual? Zhang Xuedong's novels seem to tell us that life without introspection is not a real life, but if the introspection behavior brings to the sight of yourself, such reflection will bring greater obstruction. Is it Yefei? "Beet Expenses" will tell you the answer.

Edit: Liu Qihan

Source: Contemporary

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