fiction. *A Diary of Ghostland* is the precursor of *Gheng Yeheng* and the narrative style of ‘Counter Offensive* calls to mind that used in *Lackadaisical Love Story*. Having noticed these stylistic similarities one is faced with the problem' of fixing the position of these two stories in Zhang*s creative
development. Do either or both stories belong to earlier strands in Zhang*s literary development? Should they be more properly grouped with Zhang*s earlier stories? The explicit reference to a date in the second story ‘Counter Offensive1 — Cheng began a two-year period of internment on 19 March 1930 and at the end of the story he is at liberty — implies that the story was written some time between March 1932 and the date of its first publication in September 1933* Whilst the historical clues as to when 'Cheng Yeheng* was written are far less explicit, the story would, on stylistic grounds at least, seem to have been written before
'Counter Offensive*. Whether these two stories represent the continuation of experimentation with stylistic techniques already well-established in Zhang's repertoire of stylistic techniques used between 1929 and 1 9 3 2 , or whether they are making anachron istic appearances amongst Zhang's 1933-1936 fiction, or even whether they mark a temporary hesitation on Zhang's part after writing his crucial work 'Back and Breasts' are all hypotheses that cannot on current evidence be tested.
'A Prosperous Year* — oppressors v. the oppressed, rich v. poor.
ion of 'Cheng Yeheng1 and 'Counter Offensive' and represents a continuation of Zhang's studies of class conflict and exploit ation. A large proportion of the stories written between 1932 and 1936 deal v/ith class conflict‘and exploitation of poor people by the rich. Other notable examples from later in this same
1 Xiandai 2 :6 (*u 1933).
2 Shenghuo zhoukan 8:36 (9* 9* 1933)- 3 Wenxue 2:2 (1. 2. 193*0-
4 Xiandai (1* 8* 193*0-
5 Wenxue 3:3 <1. 11- 193*0 3:6 (1. 12. 193*0.
'A Prosperous Year' 1 appeared between the publicat-
period are 'Honeymoon ^ife* FJ .s. ‘ , ^ 'Smile' ^ 'Wanren Association'
'Retribution*
'Boys and Girls' f u i t f l . 1 'Qingming Festival1
0* f 2 eto. But whereas most of the successive studies of class conflict and exploitation have rural settings, this story has an urban background.
who comes from the poverty-stricken countryside to Shanghai in
works as a bodyguard in a wealthy Shanghai household. On account of a good harvest, there is a glut of grain on the market, and Gensheng has been unable to sell what he has harvested. Chen Qi agrees to ask the master of the household for help for his
relative, but his entreaties meet with failure. Gensheng and Chen Qi both ask other members of the family for help but to no avail. Gensheng, driven increasingly to distraction and worried sick about his wife and family, is led first to mug someone for 60 cents, and finally to attacking the head of the household
commotion, Chen Qi shoots Gensheng as he is making his escape, unaware that his relative is in fact the thief that everyone is shouting about. The story ends with the arrival of a doctor to tend Laoye's head which he had cut open when Gensheng knocked him down. Only Chen Qi comes to Gensheng's aid.
What might otherwise be a simple and straightforward story is made complex by certain moral questions thrown up by the story and the conflict of interests and values amongst those who are participating in the story.
If one seeks to identify Zhang's motive for choosing such a plot as this and for writing it up in the way that he does, then one comes to the conclusion that his main interest in this story is analysing Gensheng's reaction to his impossible situation. At the end of the story Zhang sensibly refrains from interpreting his story or taking sides or pointing out right and wrong as he sees it, preferring to hold up a particular example of a universal dilemma for his readers to consider for themselves.
'A Prosperous Year' is the story of Qian Gensheng
order to enlist the aid of his relative Chen Qi who
) and running off with his purse. In the ensuing
1 Wenxue jikan 1:*f (16. 12. 193^-)* 2 Wenxue 5:1 (1* 7« 1935)*
180
What then are the techniques that Zhang uses in order to make this story an effective example of his literary craft? First, he uses an impersonal third person narrative technique which allows him the peripatetic omniscience which allows access to both the living-room of the wealthy family and the- servants' quarters. Secondly, using the technique of only revealing the bare minimum necessary, the reader's interest is whetted by a snatch of conversation overheard by Chen Qi as he leaves a room after speaking to the master of the house. He overhears someone say: "When the harvest is good, it is good for' everyone"
gjj) Chen Qi does not fully comprehend this remark but the implication is that the wealthy family speculate in grain and when they talk of a good harvest being good for all they really mean good for themselves. This technique forces the reader to become involved in making his/her own deductions. Thirdly, Zhang analyses at close quarters the mentality of someone driven to desperate lengths by force of circumstance. Describing Gensheng's state of mind after he has mugged someone of 60 cents, regretted his action, thought to return the money, and been mugged himself, the narrator says:
He / Gensheng__/ was still Ghoked w i t h emotion: he did not h i m s e l f k n o w why it was — w h e t h e r in fact it was b e c ause the
60
cents he had s n a t c h e d had b e e n t a k e n off him, or because he had b e e n unfair to the little fellow.(flp i 3L ^ £&> D@
^ i) A fe,
* &fa
f t — ■ & J4 ' A B fa 4 A M
& fa A U *£ ft. fa J , i£ A fa 3 si
(If 4 ' f - f . )The narrator thus climbs inside the head of the character and conducts a psychological analysis. Fourthly, use is made of the technique of contrast. The secure decadent lifestyle of the wealthy family — they drink, smoke, take opium, play the piano, etc. — provides a sharp contrast with the breadline existence of Gensheng's family and his fear that his wife may despair and commit suicide by jumping in a well.
The Strange Knight-errant of the Shanghai Concessions — slapstick or satire?
Whang’s next work to appear was The Strange Knight-errant of the Shanghai Concessions <*< /jp 3-^ ^ ^ This, like One Year and Pulse of the A g e , was a full-length novel describing contemporary China. The novel is divided into
chapters (One Year by comparison has only 10 unnumbered
chapters) and is set for the most part in Shanghai. The ’hero* of the novel., 26 year-old Shi Zhaochang
ft 4k §
is aromantic youth who lives in a fantasy world where Daoist magic and gongfu feats count for everything. The novel has scarcely any pretensions to seriousness and as a result occupies that unhappy middle ground between satire and farce.
Soon after the novel had finished being serialised in
2