Contents Briefing

This novel passionately eulogizes the original creator of life story—mother's greatness, simplicity and selflessness, as well as unparalleled importance of life perpetuation. And in this flow chart of life, smoke of history and war is suffused, which is true and free of any bias to represent the history during such a period of time. This novel describes the mother who puts up with hardships and painstaking achieves upbringing of the children one by one, and she regards Shangguan Jintong as important as life, which is intended to explain: Human is always the most valuable in the universe, and life has indisputable significance as the first standard. The proliferation and reproduction of "lineage" (i.e., Shangguan Jintong is significant and favored) naturally has a unique significance. Heritage and lineage of life is the source of mankind's eternal existence. Everything in the universe only shows the value and significance because of the existence of life itself. It is also in this sense that the novel reveals: Human is not only the main body of history, but also the main body of beauty, life and heritage. So heritage and lineage of life deserve most praises. The universe and the world without life, regardless of beauty, ugliness, pure, dirty, abjection and nobleness, are no longer meaningful. So we realize the true meaning of "Life is the Great Virtue of Heaven and Earth" in Yi Zhuan. The depth of the novel or the author also exists in implying this seemingly simple and profound truth in mother's act of leading sons and daughters for the stubborn survival of life and lineage.

So the creator of life Mother no doubt should win the respect and praise. Mother is selfless, who is the carrier of love, devotion and life. The heartfelt respect and gratitude for Mother also shows that people's the ultimate worship and love for life. In this point, we seem to see that the author's maternal awareness or femininity consciousness plays a leading role in the novel. The creator of social history may be dominated by men, and creator of life history or creator of human history is Mother, women at the beginning of life. There seems not only to embody the writer's deep Oedipus complex in the soul, but also the emotional answer can be found here from Shangguan Jintong's attachment to the breast milk, who is really the author's embodiment of ideology. This originates from author's complex.

Author Profile

Mo Yan (1955~): His old name was Guan Moye. As a native of Gaomi (Shandong), he is a party member of the CPC. In 1986, he graduated from Department of Literature, Art College of the Chinese Peoples' Liberation Army. Then he graduated from Postgraduate Course in Lu Xun College of Liberal Arts, Beijing Normal University, and obtained Master of Arts. After he was drafted into the army in 1976, he successively served as soldier, squad leader, teacher, administrative secretary and professional writer. In 1997, he was transferred to civilian work, and has currently served as a journalist of Procuratorial Daily subordinated to Supreme People's Procuratorate, member of the Sixth National Committee of Chinese Writers Association and member of the Seventh Presidium. He has published works since 1981. After he joined in Chinese Writers Association in 1985, he has published the saga novels (Red Sorghum, Wine Country, Heaven Garlic Song, Sandalwood Penalty, Forty-One Bombards, Life and Death Are Wearing Me Out, etc); novellas (Transparent Carrot, Explosion, Blonde Babies, Woman With Flowers In Arms, Joy, Ox, A Running Race Thirty Years Ago, etc); short stories (Dry River, Autumn Flood, White Dog and Swing, Snow Beauty, etc). Some works have been translated into English, French, Italian, Swedish, Korean, German, Danish, Spanish and other languages. And he has authored Collected Works of Mo Yan (12 Volumes) and more scripts for film, television and drama. His novella Red Sorghum won National Award for Novella, Plump Breasts and Round Hips won he first literature award of Master, White Dog and Swing won Unitas Literature Award in Taiwan, Le Pays de l'Alcool - éditions du Seuil (French version) won Laure Bataillin Award in France, Sandalwood Penalty won the first 21st Century Ding Jun Semiannual Literature Award and Award for Top 10 Books by Unitas Daily News in Taiwan, and Life and Death Are Wearing Me Out won the second Award for Dream of the Red Chamber. He ever won the 30th Nonino International Prize for Literature in Italy. In 2004, he was honorably the conferred with French Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Knight Insignia of Literature and Art). In 2005, he obtained honorary doctorate in literature from Open University of Hong Kong. The same entitled movies Red Sorghum, White Cotton, Warmth and others won awards by many international film festivals.