Divine Fist

Lao SheFeb 2017

3.9

Word count: 34K words
Chapters: 7

Summary

Lao She's historical play The Divine Fist was written to commemorate the sixtieth anniversary of the Boxer Uprising. The play presents to the world the fighting spirit and patriotic fervor with which the Manchu people, together with the entire Chinese people, resisted imperialist oppression at that time, and on this basis The Divine Fist became Lao She's first play to focus on Manchu life as its subject.

Editor's review

The Divine Fist is a historical play Lao She wrote to commemorate the sixtieth anniversary of the Boxer Uprising and his first play to focus on Manchu life as its subject. The play situates the Boxer movement within the context of the Manchu people and the whole Chinese people resisting imperialist oppression, combining the spectacle of historical drama with Lao She's fine grasp of the language and psychology of ordinary people. Its value lies not only in its subject matter: on the one hand it presents the fighting spirit and patriotic fervor of the people in a particular historical period, and on the other it provides an important text for understanding Lao She's own ethnic identity and creative vision. In reading, note how the characters are driven along between plain survival needs and a larger national crisis; this treatment is more rewarding than simple heroization. It is well suited to comparative reading within Lao She's dramatic works, Manchu literature, or modern-history plays, and also serves as a reference sample for writing historical drama.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers studying Lao She's plays and Manchu literature
Readers interested in the Boxer Uprising and modern-history subjects
Teachers and students needing a historical play text for teaching or writing reference
Readers of literature and history interested in plays about popular resistance

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking strictly historiographical works
Readers who prefer contemporary subjects or light reading

Reading tips

Before reading, learn the basic timeline of the Boxer Uprising to better grasp the historical situation in the play.
Pay attention to the language and everyday details of the Manchu characters to appreciate Lao She's distinctive perspective on this subject.
Read alongside other plays on the War of Resistance or historical subjects to compare characterization and the handling of propaganda contexts.
After reading, consider: what does the title "The Divine Fist" point to in the play, and how does it relate to the characters' beliefs.

版权信息
序幕
第一幕
第二幕
第三幕
第四幕
后记

FAQ

How does The Divine Fist differ from Lao She's other plays?

According to available materials, this is a historical play Lao She wrote to commemorate the sixtieth anniversary of the Boxer Uprising and his first play to focus on Manchu life as its subject. Unlike realistic War of Resistance works such as Who Goes to Chongqing First, it turns to modern history and unfolds against the background of the Manchu people's life and the whole people's common resistance to imperialist oppression; both subject and perspective are relatively unusual.

Can I understand the play without knowing Boxer history?

Basically yes. The play moves through characters and scenes, and the plot itself is readable. But the background of the Boxer movement is fairly complex; it is advisable to spend a little time before reading on the general course of events and the atmosphere of the era, so as to better understand the characters' situations and choices and to distinguish the play's historical writing from the historical record.

Is this play suitable for classroom teaching?

It is suitable as a supplementary text for historical drama or for Lao She's playwriting. It is moderate in length and touches on modern history and ethnic relations, making it easy to organize discussion around. In teaching, historical background materials can be used to guide students in comparing literary writing with historical narrative, and excerpts can be selected for reading aloud or character analysis.

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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.