Yu Hua

Yu Hua at the 2005 Singapore Writers Festival [[1]]

Template:Chinese name Template:Documentation subpage Template:Person infobox header

Infobox writer may be used to summarize information about a person who is a writer/author (includes screenwriters).

If the writer-specific fields here are not needed, consider using the more general Template:Tl; other infoboxes there can be found in Category:People infobox templates.

Usage

The infobox may be added by pasting the template as shown below into an article. All fields are optional. Any unused parameter names can be left blank or omitted.

{{Infobox writer <!-- For more information see [[:Template:Infobox Writer/doc]]. --> 
| name          = <!-- Deleting this line will use the article title as the page name. -->
| image         = 
| image_size    = 
| alt           = 
| caption       = 
| pseudonym     = 
| birth_name    = 
| birth_date    = <!-- {{Birth date and age|YYYY|MM|DD}} -->
| birth_place   = 
| death_date    = <!-- {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} -->
| death_place   = 
| resting_place = 
| occupation    = 
| language      = 
| nationality   = 
| ethnicity     = 
| citizenship   = 
| education     = 
| alma_mater    = 
| period        = 
| genre         = 
| subject       = 
| movement      = 
| notableworks  = 
| spouse        = 
| partner       = 
| children      = 
| relatives     = 
| influences    = 
| influenced    = 
| awards        = 
| signature     = 
| signature_alt = 
| website       = <!-- www.example.com -->
| portaldisp    = 
}}

Parameters

Please remove any parameters from an article's infobox that are unlikely to be used.

All parameters are optional.

Parameter	Explanation
name	Insert name of the person. Use the common name, typically name of article. If omitted it defaults to the name of the article; if present but blank, the header is omitted. Note: Do not add icons or other images.
image	Insert image name. Use only the file name such as Template:Highlight, Template:Highlight, Template:Highlight, etc. Do not use syntax such as [[File:abc.jpg]] or [[File:abc.jpg|200px]] Only free-content images are allowed for depicting living people. Non-free and "fair use" images, e.g., promo photos, CD/DVD covers, posters, screen captures, etc., will be deleted—see WP:NONFREE.
image_size	Size to display image: 200px (set width), or 200x300px (max width & max height). This defaults to 200px if empty or omitted.
alt	The alt text for the image, for readers who cannot see the image. See WP:ALT.
caption	Caption for the image. Try to include the date the image was created.
pseudonym	Any of the person's aliases or pen names. Separate entries with a comma "," followed by a blank space. Please do not separate entries with a line break <br>.
birth_name	Insert person's name at birth (or christening if name at birth is unavailable).
birth_date	Insert the person's birth date if known as: month day, year or day month year as appropriate. For a living person consider using: Template:Tlx Otherwise use: Template:Tlx. In either case, add Template:Para to show date as day before month; otherwise format is month before day.
birth_place	Insert the person's place of birth if known as: town, city, state, country. Note: Do not add flag icons to the birthplace. See: Wikipedia:Manual of Style (flags).
death_date	Note: Using this field will also change the background display color of the name at the top of the infobox to silver. If the person is still living, leave this parameter blank. Insert the persons date of death if known as: month day, year or day month year as appropriate. When the full birth date and death date are known, use the following: Template:Tlx Add Template:Para to show date as day before month; otherwise format is month before day. example {{Death date and age|2026|04|4|1950|12|31|df=yes}} output display results Template:Death date and age When only the birth and death years are known, use: {{Death year and age|year died|year born}} example {{Death year and age|2026|1950}} output display results Template:Death year and age When only the birth month, birth year and death year are known, use: birth month, {{Death year and age|year died|year born}} example April, {{Death year and age|2026|1950}} output display results April, Template:Death year and age When only the death year is known, use: death year example 2026 output display results 2026 When the date of death is unknown, but the person is certainly now dead use the following (case is insensitive): example unknown output display results date of death unknown When the date of death is unknown, and it is preferable not to display anything and just change the background display color of the infobox. Enter the following (case is insensitive): example died output display results nothing will be displayed. When the date of death is only known approximately. Preface the entry with a wikilink [[Circa|c.]] or c. examples [[Circa|c.]] {{Death year and age|2026|1950}} [[Circa|c.]] year died output display results c. Template:Death year and age c. 2026
death_place	Insert the persons place of death if known as: town, city, state, country. Note: Do not add flag icons to the deathplace. See: Wikipedia:Manual of Style (flags).
resting_place	Place of burial, ash-scattering, etc.
occupation	Insert the type of person: novelist, short story person, journalist, etc. Separate entries with a comma "," followed by a blank space. Please do not separate entries with a line break <br>.
language	Language of published writings.
nationality	Nationality of person.
ethnicity	Ethnicity of person.
citizenship	Citizenship of person.
education	The degree(s) obtained by the person.
alma_mater	The alma mater, or college or universities where the person studied. If more than one, indicate ones where they obtained their degree(s) or graduated from.
period	Dates from first publication to last publication.
genre	All genres that the person wrote in. (fiction persons) Separate entries with a comma "," followed by a blank space. Please do not separate entries with a line break <br>.
subject	All subjects that the person wrote about. (non-fiction persons) Separate entries with a comma "," followed by a blank space. Please do not separate entries with a line break <br>.
movement	Insert the literary movement associated with or involving the person. Separate entries with a comma "," followed by a blank space. Please do not separate entries with a line break <br>.
notableworks	Names of notable works (WP:NN). Separate entries with a line break (<br>). If there is a dispute between editors over what is or is not a notable work, it should be brought up on the article's talk page. If no consensus can be developed for a particular person, the notableworks parameter should be marked with:
spouse	Name of spouse(s), followed by years of marriage. Use the format Name (1950–present) for current spouse and Name (1970–1999) for former spouse(s). Separate entries using Template:Tl.
partner	Name of long-term unmarried partner(s) (e.g., domestic partner). Separate multiple entries using Template:Tl.
children	Number of children (e.g., 3), or list of children names. Separate entries using Template:Tl.
relatives	Names of parents, siblings or other relatives. Include the relationship in parentheses after the name (father, sister, uncle, etc). Separate entries using Template:Tl.
influences	Names of other persons, literary movements, and others who have influenced his/her work. If there are numerous entries to this parameter consider separating entries with a comma "," followed by a blank space. If there are only a few entries then separate entries using Template:Tl.
influenced	Names of other persons, literary movements, and others influenced by his/her work. If there are numerous entries to this parameter consider separating entries with a comma "," followed by a blank space. If there are only a few entries then separate entries using Template:Tl.
awards	Insert any notable awards the person has won. Consider using the template: Template:Tlx Separate entries using Template:Tl. Note: Do not add icons or other images.
signature	An image of the person's signature. Image is displayed at a width of 128px, same format as Template:Tl, Template:Tl and Template:Tl.
signature_alt	signature_alt="Jules Romains", spelling out the signature exactly as it appears in the image.Template:Clarify
website	If the person has an official website enter it here. Do not enter unofficial, blogs or fan websites. Only one official website is allowed. If the person has more than one official website, only the most prominent should be listed in the infobox. All other websites should be listed in the article under ==External links==. Enter just the url. Do not use syntax such as [http://www.example.com/] or [http://www.example.com Great person]. The proper syntax is: Template:Highlight.
portaldisp	This is an optional parameter to display the literature portal link at the bottom of the infobox. Leaving this parameter blank will cause the literature portal link not to display. Setting this parameter to yes or y (case is insensitive) will display the literature portal link. File:Portal-puzzle.svg Literature portal If there is a dispute between editors over whether this parameter should be used in the article, it should be brought up on the article's talk page. If no consensus can be developed for a particular person, the portaldisp parameter should be marked with:

See also

• Template:Tl

Childhood

Yu Hua was born on April 3, 1960 in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province.

Original File [[2]]

Yu Hua has very little written in his childhood other then what you can find in

Li Yao Tang’s childhood and upbringing is much like his story, “Family”. He lived in a large estate. His parents died when he was young, so most of his upbringing was arranged by his grandfather, who was the domineering head of the house, and it was not until his grandfather’s death that Ba Jin was free to start pursuing his own goals and ambitions.[1] When he was sixteen he enrolled in the Chengdu Foreign Language Specialist School with his older brother. There he began to broaden his horizons and started writing in the school’s literary journal, called the Crescent, for which he wrote some free verse poetry. He also joined an anarchist group called the Equality Society.

In the years following his studies in Chengdu, he first moved to Shanghai, and then to Nanjing to study at the Southeast University (东南大学). While studying in Nanjing he continued to support the Anarchist movement and actively voiced his opinions in his writing.. His first and foremost reason for leaving home to study was, I believe, not for education, although he did study. I think the primary reason was to get away from his controlling family.

In 1927 he found an opportunity to study abroad, which led him to Paris, France . Here he continued his correspondence with the anarchist movement, and branched to international correspondence to others in America. His living circumstances and a longing for home brought him back to China one year later in 1928.[2]

Motivations

Ba Jin drew his inspiration from many different sources, one of which was Emma Goldman, an anarchist writer, who started a correspondence with him which lasted for many years. He referred to her as his “spiritual mother.” [3]

He chose his pen name from the Chinese transliterations of Ba in Bakunin (Mikhail), and of the last syllable of the name Kropotkin (Pyotr), two Russian anarchist writers that he admired. [4]

while he was in France he heard of two Italian men, Ferdinando Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, who were imprisoned in America, They were fellow members of the anarchist movement. He wrote to them, and recieved a reply, recounting their story, which touched him deeply. He kept correspondence with them until they were executed. In memory of them he wrote a short story called “The Electric Chair” (电椅). [5]

Upon returning to Shanghai, he dove into his writing career, writing novels, short stories, as well as translating foreign works into Chinese. It was at this time that he wrote his most influential novel “Family” (家) which became part of a trilogy called “The Torrents Trilogy” also including “Spring” and “Autumn”.[6]

By 1934, some of his writing received some negative attention and was blacklisted, which forced him to flee to Japan, using a fake name. He returned to China two years later, when things had cooled down.

From 1937-1941 he moved a lot, trying to escape the conflict of the war with Japan. He slowly made his way back to his ancestral home in Chengdu. There he saw the final results of his family’s traditions fade into history. When the war ended he moved back to Shanghai, where he continued writing.

Writing Styles

The novel “Family” is a story of a broken home. The family relationship is the complete opposite of what a family should be like. It makes perfectly clear the injustices of the time, and the senile traditions of the Kao family.

There are 3 main protagonists in the story. They are three brothers, Cheuh Hsin, Cheuh Hui, and Cheuh Min. They each have their own ambitions and love interests, however each is muddled up and ruined by the elders of the family, particularly the grandfather, who is the head of the house, and has the final say on everything.

The oldest brother, Cheuh Hsin, (whom I think perfectly represents Ba Jin) is very good academically, and has plans to study abroad. He also has his heart set on marrying Mei Mei. His hopes are shattered, however, when his father arranges for him to marry a complete stranger, and also his dreams of continuing his education when his father sends him to work at a local, family-owned business, to support his new family.

Cheuh Hui loves Ming Feng, a servant in their house. He feels strongly about going forward with their relationship but he can’t bring himself to tell his relatives about it. Without his knowledge, the grandfather arranges for her to become a concubine to one of the grandpa’s friends. She is so dejected and frightened by the prospect, that she drowns herself. This sends Cheuh Hui into severe depression.

Chueh Min is perhaps the only character that may achieve his own ambition. He loves Chin, a cousin who has similar goals for her education. But they are equally afraid let anyone find out about any of this.

The final blow on the characters is struck when the grandfather dies. There is a tradition in this part of china, that when a corpse is in a house, and a woman is giving birth, it causes the corpse to be desecrated and spurt blood or something like that. So, Cheuh Hsin’s wife is giving birth, and in order to keep with tradition, she is forced to go somewhere else to have her baby, in the dead of winter, all to protect the dead grandpa and she dies in childbirth.

Controversy

When the communist party assumed power in 1949, Ba Jin was hopeful for a better future. He believed communism could be the answer to the problems China was facing, However he soon began to see that life did not improve under the communist regime. In the 1950’s he still continued to write, but was compelled to write under the communist theme, which he conformed to. He stopped writing fiction, and strictly wrote nonfiction.

He was also forced to “edit” his past and deny all connection to the Anarchist Movement. In 1961 he said 'I am not satisfied either by the quantity or quality of my works.‘ The attention given to him, proved to be a curse, not a blessing, when he was appointed him to be vice-chairman of the official China Writers' Association.[7]

He regretted his submissive actions and when allowed to, he began expressing his true opinions and criticized the government. He even wrote a letter of support to the students of the 1989 Tiananmen protests on May 18. (before the massacre had started.)

During the Cultural Revolution (1966-76). Terror was unleashed on all non-supporters of Mao Zedong. The Red Guards attacked many writers, including Ba Jin. They made a big fuss about his anarchist past. They saw his independent thinking was dangerous, and claimed he was being a traitor to his country.

For a while he was imprisoned, and was also forced to work in a Labor camp. Finally, on June 20, 1968, Ba Jin was dragged to the People's Stadium of Shanghai. It was a televised humiliating spectacle with him kneeling on broken glass, with the shouts from the crowd, accusing him of being a traitor and enemy of Mao Zedong. At the end of the demonstration Ba Jin shouted, “You have your thoughts and I have mine. This is the fact and you can't change it even if you kill me.”[8]

Legacy

He was happily married to Xiao Shan from 1944 until she died in 1973 They had two children, A daughter and a son, both of whom had the freedom filled upbringing he wanted himself to have. They each choose their own careers and their own spouses. His daughter is now a leading member of the editorial department of a big Chinese literary magazine while his son is a rising novelist. [9]

His wife, Xiao Shan died of cancer in 1973, which affected him deeply. He said, "When I lose my ability to work, I hope there will be several copies of fictions translated by Xiao Shan on my sickbed. After I close my eyes, please let my ashes be mixed with hers." [10] In 1983 he contracted Parkinson’s disease, which in his final years left him mute and unable to walk. He spent most of that time in a hospital in Shanghai, where he died in 2005 at the age of 100.

He left behind a vast amount of writing and shared the wealth of experience from the century of his life. That legacy was the legacy of learning from your mistakes, and choosing to be a nonconformist. He saw both sides of the spectrum, conformity and rebellion, and he chose at last to stay a rebel forever.

References

• An interview with Yu Hua at Ohio State University

• A conversation with Yu Hua at UCLA

• A profile of Yu Hua in the New York Times Magazine

Sources

Mishra Pankaj. "Mishra Pankaj, The Bonfire of China’s Vanities" The New York Times. The New York Times, 25 Jan. 2009. Web. 23 Jan. 2009. <http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/25/magazine/25hua-t.html?_r=2&emc=eta1&pagewanted=all&>.