Reincarnations of an Honest Sinner: An Analysis of Mo Yans Novel, Life and Death are Wearing Me Out - Research Paper Example

English 08 November Reincarnations of an Honest Sinner: An Analysis of Mo Yan’s Novel, “Life and Death are Wearing Me Out” Born into a farming family in “Gaomi Township in Shandong province in northeastern China,” Mo Yan had to discontinue his education at a young age to work in an oil factory and at the age of 20, he became a soldier in the People’s Liberation Army where he “began writing” (60 Second Guide to Mo Yan: 2012 Winner of Nobel Prize for Literature, 2012). Subsequently, he also had a stint as a teacher in the Army, in its cultural unit. His real name is Guan Moye and he adopted the penname, Mo Yan, which means ‘do not speak’, to “remind him to hold his tongue” (Myers 5). Mo Yan enjoyed a reputation of being quite outspoken, which was not a trait that received much appreciation in communist China in those times. In order to understand Mo’s evolution as a prolific writer of high eminence, one has to appreciate the transformation of the Chinese literature in the modern era. The Oriental culture and philosophy are unique, vast and absolutely different from that of the Western world. Thus, Chinese literature also has remained ensconced in their own concepts without allowing it a leeway to explore and appreciate the works of other regions or to promote the spread of their literature beyond the confines of their boundaries. However, with the dawning of the 20th century, there was a tremendous transformation in literature all over the world, due to the emergence of various movements. Slowly, the impacts also have begun to reflect on Chinese literature. Translations of literature became popular, which have resulted in an exchange of works among nations, entailing an integration of culture and writing styles that are unique to the tradition of countries. However, with the “establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949,” everything in the nation came under political control, which again deprived the Chinese writers of the opportunity to interact with the outside world. As it happened, with the death of Mao Zedong in 1976, the literature in China again received the opportunity for expression. It was during this time, as a result of the revival of the trend of translation from other languages and cultures, that books of famous authors like Sartre, Marquez and Freud were read and appreciated in China. It is also relevant that many martial arts movies from China began to be favored in the US and other countries. Thus, China was undergoing a major change in her perception of literature and arts. This rejuvenated Chinese art and literature and gave it a drastic facelift. The positive effects of this transformation can be seen in the works of Mo Yan also, whose works, critics say, significantly reflect the influence of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, especially in the context of magical realism. Another major influence of Mo Yan’s works derives from the rich Oriental philosophy and the covenants of Buddhist religion. Religions like Buddhism and Hinduism places primary emphasis on the concept of ‘Karma’ or one’s deed. These religions believe that what results in a human’s life is the fruit of a person’s action, which he or she does out of the free will. Thus, bad deeds bring the individual the curse of doom while good deeds facilitate ‘nirvana’ or salvation. Mo Yan’s works are primarily rooted in Buddhist philosophy and they always contain elements of social and political criticism. Writers use their literary works as a medium of expression and to communicate their thoughts and feelings to their audience. Mo Yan, through his works, has attempted to demonstrate the political and social problems in his country and draw the attention of people towards these aspects. Mo Yan’s Novel, “Life and Death are Wearing Me Out,” first published in 2005, has received the Nobel Prize for Literature 2012, and this feat bestows on him the unique honor of being first Chinese writer, living and writing in China, to have received this coveted award. His Nobel citation notes that Mo Yan mixes “fantasy and reality and historical and social perspectives” and thus creates a world that reminds the audience, through its complexity, of the works of Faulkner and Marquez, but still finds a “departure point in old Chinese literature and in oral tradition” (60 Second Guide to Mo Yan: 2012 Winner of Nobel Prize for Literature, 2012). The story, primarily rooted in the magical realism genre, narrates the saga of Ximen Nao, who is a 30 year old rich landowner. Soon after the land reforms as a consequence of the Communist party coming into power, a fellow villager shoots and kills Nao. On reaching the other world, he complains to Lord Yama that the gods have meted out injustice to him. According to Nao, he has been fair in his dealings with both his family and the society and he has remained honest and of value to the community. God Yama sends him back, first to live several lives as animals in the form of a donkey, ox, pig, dog and monkey, and finally again in human form. All the animals, somehow or other, establishes a connection with Nao’s helper, Lan Lian, a hired hand, whom the author portrays as a loyal but tough and determined person. He never subscribes to the socialist concepts of the Maoist regime and stands resolute on the notion that he must work independently. Mo Yan uses the interaction between Nao’s incarnations and Lian to reveal his ideas to the audience. However, he dexterously handles what may appear a daunting task of narration through the tone of different animals and also through Lian, whose perspectives of the world vary drastically. The story depicts their life, which mainly confines to the processes of toiling and sharing meager rations for their sustenance. This, allusion, again points perhaps to the inadequacy of communism to fulfill the tenets of equality and welfare for all. But Mo Yan’s narrative does not merely confine to commentaries on political situations on the country but also extends to the social and moral manifestations of the Chinese community in terms of showing his audience the villagers’ all consuming indulgence in sex and violence as well as people scheming to harm others. Mo Yan also deftly deploys the literary device of symbolism to communicate with his audience in a subtle manner. This becomes evident from the way he illustrates the death of the pigs, corresponding to the time when Mao Zedong lays dying in Beijing. The author alludes to the farm’s “glory” of the “past” and it connotes to the idea that with the demise of Mao Zedong (Spence 2008), the communist administration has lost its glory. In fact, some enthusiasts even believed that their leader will never succumb to death and, with the contrary happening, most people have lost their blind faith in his regime. A dilution of the power ensued for the communists and, as a result, various social and cultural changes occurred in the country. This becomes especially evident in the context of the transformation of literature, as discussed earlier, after the nation lost their ‘beloved’ chairman. Further, the villagers, unable to burn the carcasses due to wet weather, dump them in the river to be carried away in the flooding waters. This, again, alludes to the notion that the Chinese have begun to eschew the Maoist concepts. Finally, towards the end of the story, Mo Yan refers to some Chinese touting their BMWs and wearing nose rings, to illustrate that the Chinese society has begun to embrace Western lifestyles. Todd Myers opines that Mo Yan’s literary masterpiece “wrestles with both political and existential questions” and offers the audience “humorous glimpse” into the author’s persona by integrating himself as a character as well as narrator into the story (Myers 6). Though he remains involved in farming, his actual flair has been for city life and though he is “ugly as sin” he longs to remain in “the company of pretty girls” (Yan 000). He is from a humble background and with his limited knowledge he attains the position as a renowned writer. Mo Yan feels that a writer must explore basic things such as “human emotions and human fate” and thus, by interlacing the elements of Buddhist philosophy and Chinese history into his work, the author illustrates the true nature of human life and the role fate plays in determining its direction. It is perhaps in this context that despite his being honest and responsible towards his family and community, Ximen Nao loses his life and lands up in hell. Lord Yama sends him back, to reincarnate as animals and finally human, to attend to unfulfilled Karma or duty. Mo Yan’s grandmother appears to be a significant influence both in his life as well as his evolution as an eminent writer. It is through her that he has learned most of the folklores and the tradition of oral story telling. This influence reflects clearly in his writing, especially in narrative techniques that border on folklore recitations. On the other hand, he is also greatly influenced by writers like William Faulkner, Franz Kafka and Gabriel Garcia Marquez. What emerges from him, therefore, is a unique blend that combines the literary traditions of varying nature. By his own admission, his “novels have created a unique style of writing in contemporary Chinese literature” (Goldblatt n.d). Critics view Mo Yan’s novel as a “kind of documentary” that takes the readers on a sojourn through the times from the enactment of land reforms to the end of the “Chinese Civil War” and resultant social reforms in the fifties and further to the “Great Leap Forward,” and finally to the “steady erosion of the collective economy” (Spence 2008). It seems, as political, economical and social situation in many countries have proved, that the principles of communism does not suit to the modern world, where individual competence needs recognition. This, perhaps, is the basic premise of Mo Yan’s story as it reflects the failure of a system that has been nurtured and expanded to attain the capability to engulf a whole nation. Yet, it miserably lacked in its ability to sustain. Mo Yan’s story, by using a simple human, honest and responsible both to family and society, narrates the saga of human fate that is determined by not one’s righteousness but by the external elements. Even Yama, the Lord of the Underworld, concedes to this by alluding that it is possible for those who deserve to live die and those who must die live. Thorough depicting such situations, the author strives to illustrate the unfortunate plight of humans, whose circumstances in terms of their country’s political, social and other conditions determine their fate despite the validity of their individual conduct. He uses the historical, social and political backgrounds of his country, by integrating the profound philosophical thoughts of Buddhist religion and traditional notions to expound on these ideas. The novel, “Life and Death are Wearing Me Out,” has high social significance for the generations to come and they have to learn from the experiences of their previous generations and this work amply illustrates these aspects for them. Works Cited 60 Second Guide to Mo Yan: 2012 Winner of Nobel Prize for Literature. The Daily Beast. 11 Oct. 2012. Web. 07 Nov. 2012. Goldblatt, Howard. Mo Yan (1955- ): Life and Death are wearing me out (2006). Newman Prize for Chinese Literature. 2006. Web. 07 November 2012. Myers, Todd. Jaded Mandarin? Mo Yan’s Search for Order in a People’s Republic. Annual Meeting of the Eric Voegelin Society, American Political Science Association. Washington. 2010. Web. 07 November 2012. Spence, Jonathan. Born Again. The New York Times. 2008. Web. 07 November 2012. Yan, Mo. “Soaring”. Trans. Howard Goldblatt. Institute for US-China Issues, The University of Oklahoma. 2001. Print. Read More