Southward Migration
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Summary
Written in 1921, Yu Dafu's short story "Moving South" follows Yi Ren, a Chinese student in Japan worn down in body and mind, who on a friend's advice goes to recuperate on the pleasant coast of Bōshū. Amid the unfamiliar scenery and a Christian fellowship, he meets a female student identified only as O, and a subtle attachment grows between them. Yet gossip and jealousy from others bring the relationship to nothing, and Yi Ren ends up in hospital, alone and ill, the story closing on the bleak image of him lying in his sickbed. Through Yi Ren's sensitive inner monologue and the poetic depiction of his surroundings, the story captures the spiritual predicament of May Fourth intellectuals caught in the cracks of their era: longing for ideal love while mired in the double suffering of personal loneliness and social repression.
Editor's review
"Moving South" is a 1921 short story by Yu Dafu, bearing the autobiographical stamp characteristic of the early Creation Society writers. Taking as its thread the Chinese student in Japan, Yi Ren, who goes to recuperate on the Bōshū coast, it interweaves the natural scenery of a foreign land, the atmosphere of a Christian fellowship, and a subtle, ultimately fruitless attachment, closing on a bleak image in a sickroom. Its value lies not in a twisting plot but in the delicate capture of inner monologue: the protagonist longs for ideal love yet is repeatedly trapped by loneliness, illness, and the jealousy and slander of others. This psychology of "wanting to draw near yet shrinking back" is precisely a microcosm of the spiritual predicament of May Fourth intellectuals. Yu Dafu's scenic writing is poetic and tinged with melancholy; the sea breeze, the coastline, and the atmosphere of the sanatorium set off the characters' emotions, leaving a cool, lingering aftertaste. It suits slow reading on a quiet afternoon or evening, as a window into Yu Dafu's early work and the psychology of May Fourth youth. If you are used to strongly plotted narratives, adjust your expectations and attend instead to the narrator's flow of emotion and the rhythm of the language.
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Readers interested in May Fourth New Literature and Yu Dafu's early work
- Readers who enjoy psychological monologue and sentimental, lyrical fiction
- Readers studying the theme of students in Japan and the mindset of modern intellectuals
- Literary lovers willing to read slowly and savor the flow of language and emotion
Not a good fit for
- Readers who prefer strong plots and fast-paced narratives
- Readers easily oppressed by a sentimental, melancholic tone
- Readers expecting a complete love story or a clear ending
Reading tips
- Read through once to feel the narrative rhythm and emotional ebb and flow; don't rush to piece together the plot.
- On a second reading, note how Yi Ren's inner monologue corresponds to the coastal scenery of Bōshū.
- Read alongside Yu Dafu's works from the same period to appreciate the autobiographical quality of his writing.
- After reading, note in the margins the turning points in the protagonist's emotions to help understand his spiritual predicament.
Contents
- 版权信息
- （一）南方
- （二）出京
- （三）浮萍
- （四）亲和力
- （五）月光
- （六）崖上
- （七）南行
- 附：《迷娘的歌》（Mignon）
FAQ
What is the background of "Moving South"?
Written in 1921, the story follows Yi Ren, a Chinese student in Japan worn down in body and mind, who on a friend's advice goes to recuperate on the Bōshū coast. It centers on his meeting a female student identified only as O amid the unfamiliar scenery and a Christian fellowship, the subtle attachment that grows between them, and its end under the jealousy and gossip of others, closing with the bleak image of Yi Ren in hospital, lying in his sickbed.
What is the story mainly trying to express?
Through Yi Ren's sensitive inner monologue and the poetic depiction of his surroundings, the story reveals the spiritual predicament of May Fourth intellectuals caught in the cracks of their era: longing for ideal love while mired in the double suffering of personal loneliness and social repression. The emotional thread is only the shell; at its core is the character's unmoored spiritual state.
Do I need to know Yu Dafu first to read "Moving South"?
You don't need a systematic knowledge of Yu Dafu beforehand. The story is short and its emotional thread clear, so you can go straight in. But knowing that this is an early work with a strong autobiographical coloring makes it easier to understand why the narrator dwells repeatedly on inner feeling rather than advancing an external plot.
Why is the story said to suit slow reading?
The plot of "Moving South" is not complex; the emphasis is on the layered unfolding of the character's emotions and the atmosphere created by the scenic description. Read too fast and you see only a fruitless love story; only slow reading lets you feel Yi Ren's psychological passage from recuperation to lonely collapse, and the sentimental, poetic texture of Yu Dafu's language.
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About the author
Yu Dafu
Author · Chinese · 1896–1945
Yu Dafu (1896–1945), originally named Yu Wen and styled Dafu, was a native of Fuyang, Zhejiang, and a prominent modern Chinese writer as well as one of the founders of the Creation Society. He wrote mainly fiction and prose. His early novella Sinking shocked the literary world with its bold self-exposure and melancholy tone, while short stories such as Springtime in a Drunken Night and Late Osmanthus depict intellectuals' anguish and drifting through lyrical atmosphere. His prose is candid and strongly autobiographical, and he left a mark in biography, social fiction, and miscellaneous essays. The collection includes 130 of his works, among them Reminiscences of Lu Xun, complete prose collections, and selected short stories. During the War of Resistance he went to Singapore to engage in anti-Japanese propaganda, later fled to Sumatra, was secretly killed by Japanese military police in 1945, and was posthumously recognized as a revolutionary martyr in 1952.
