Homeward Bound

Lao SheJun 2020

3.5

Word count: 39K words
Chapters: 7

Summary

The basic plot of Gui Qu Lai Xi revolves around the disintegration of the family of Qiao Shen, a profit-driven merchant who makes a fortune by hoarding goods during a national crisis. He never cares about the War of Resistance or the fate of the nation; he believes that as long as he becomes an industrialist or financier, "one can establish a power that will never fall, and no matter who holds political power, we will always be the upper class." He imagines he has made money for his children and that, relying on his shrewdness and his position as head of the family, he can issue orders and control everything at home. In fact, this is not so. He does not care about the War of Resistance, but the fervor of the war and the storms of the times constantly batter his family; he worships the power of money, but money fails to sustain his relationships with his children and friends. He sinks into complete isolation... In Gui Qu Lai Xi, through depicting Qiao Shen's plight, the author satirizes the speculators who profited from the national crisis and lashes their ugly souls, while telling people that any act contrary to the War of Resistance is shameful.

Editor's review

Gui Qu Lai Xi centers on the disintegration of the family of Qiao Shen, a merchant who makes a fortune by hoarding goods during a national crisis and misjudges himself. Qiao Shen believes neither in the War of Resistance nor in anything but money and the status of "industrialist" and "financier," confident that his shrewdness as head of the family can control his children and friends. Yet the storms of the times keep breaking into his household, money fails to hold family and friendships together, and he ends up utterly isolated. The play's strength lies in combining satire with revelation: it lashes the ugly soul of those who profit from the national crisis and tells readers that any act contrary to the War of Resistance is shameful. The conflicts are concentrated within the family but reflect social mores and ethical choices, making it suitable for reading in discussions of wartime social mentality, family power, and the ethics of money. Lao She's dialogue is sharp and worldly; while reading, note how Qiao Shen's self-assurance is dismantled step by step by reality.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in social-problem drama of the War of Resistance period
Researchers studying satire and family narrative in Lao She's plays
General readers interested in the ethics of money and family power relations
Teachers and students needing modern spoken-drama texts for teaching or staging reference

Not a good fit for

Readers who want only light comedy and avoid satire and critique
Readers who prefer highly dramatic plots and are uncomfortable with the pace of family ethical drama
Readers unaccustomed to the script form who prefer novelistic narrative

Reading tips

Build a character-relationship chart around Qiao Shen's conflicts with his children and friends, and trace his isolation
Note lines about the War of Resistance and money, distinguishing characters' positions from the author's satire
Read alongside the social background of the wartime rear to understand the real-world reference of the hoarding theme

版权信息
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FAQ

What is Gui Qu Lai Xi mainly about?

The play revolves around the disintegration of the family of the merchant Qiao Shen: he makes a fortune by hoarding goods during the national crisis, cares nothing for the War of Resistance, and believes in money and his authority as head of the family, but the fervor of the times batters his household, money fails to sustain family and friendships, and he ends up isolated.

Who is the target of the satire?

Mainly Qiao Shen, the profiteering speculator who makes money from the national crisis; the play satirizes his profit-seeking and his ugly soul in ignoring the nation's peril, and through his plight tells people that any act contrary to the War of Resistance is shameful.

How should I understand the character Qiao Shen while reading?

Focus on the sources of his self-assurance: his worship of money's power, his faith in the status of industrialist and financier, and his misjudgment of patriarchal authority. As the fervor of the War of Resistance enters his household, his orders gradually lose effect, and his isolated end is the counterproof of his values.

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About the author

Lao She Author · China · 1899–1966

Lao She, born Shu Qingchun with the courtesy name Sheyu, lived from 1899 to 1966. A Manchu from Beijing, he is a major modern Chinese writer. His writing long centered on urban life in Beijing and on ordinary people at the lower levels of society. His works are mostly social novels and folk literature, and he also wrote essays and miscellaneous prose. His style is plain yet marked by irony and compassion, and he was skilled at using colloquial Beijing-flavored language to portray characters and their fates. His representative works include Camel Xiangzi, Four Generations Under One Roof, and Teahouse, which have had wide influence. In 1951 he received the title "People's Artist." The library holds 488 of his works, commonly classified under social fiction, classics, folk literature, essays and miscellaneous writings, and exam books, showing that his writing continues to circulate among readers and in teaching.