Advancement or modernization for the most part is portrayed as anything that has been involved with the procedure of westernization. Presumably the most telling variable of advancement would be impacts of western capitalism. Tradition is described as any old Chinese qualities, traditions, or superstitions uninhibited by western belief system. Realism is representing an item or situation in its true qualities and in a way that it is true to life.
Spring Silkworms is a work of fiction by Mao Dun explores Chinese rural life from a fatalistic viewpoint. The work portrays a society that is becoming continually disconnected from reality by choosing to be entrenched in their traditions and abhorring to the point of condemning anything progressive. It is interesting to see what the same society today has become once it unshackled itself from these self-imposed th
ought jails.
In spite of the protagonist’s diligent work, their endeavors are in vain and they are bound to become poorer the harder they work. Current events assume a focal part in plot improvement. In Spring Silkworms, the presentation of foreign silkworms, which are favored over local silkworms, upsets the local Chinese silk industry, and the Japanese attack of Shanghai causes silk filatures to close or purchase at greatly reduced costs.
The accentuation on class in Spring Silkworms is apparent. mao dun illustrates early on in the story, the ascent and fall of both Master Chen's family and Old Tong Bao's family, a change that Old Tong Bao ascribes to both economic and supernatural forces. The laborers additionally express hostility to foreigners. We discovers that in spite of the fact that he has never met one, Old Tong Bao detests "foreign devils,"
and that as stated by Master Chen, "The outside devils have cheated us out of our benefits."
Modern machinery, as seen by old Tong Bao, are creations of the "foreign devil". It is an image of the west. It is an intrusion, an assault on the more local hand-craftsmanship. Unskilled labor always loses in its competition with modern machinery despite all of man's diligent effort. The peasants' lifestyle was agitated as the serene water was disturbed. The waves hurled the peasant and his small craft about like a seesaw portraying a typical reflection on how powerless and defenseless the rural peasant can be in a vulnerable battle against modern machinery.
From old Tong Bao's thoughts about the motor boat, one can easily infer his hatred against machinery and the west influence overall. Anything to do with the west, he would resist and reject. Despite realizing that foreign cocoons fetched better price, he stands firm, holding his native beliefs, to reject raising silkworms of the foreign breed. Were it not for his daughter in law, he would raise local breed of silkworm exclusively.
With the developments of machines, the new western influence, individuals like old Tong Bao in rural China were compelled to live in a monopolistic capitalist market. The free market that they once had is no more managed by the law of supply and demand; rather it is by the wills of the new monopoly. Rural China and its people became enchained in this capitalistic culture. Their social and financial self-sufficiency was at the verge of breakdown. Their month of craving and restless nights raising silkworm just remunerated them into much more profound obligations. Regardless of how
hard they endeavored to work, they were bound to lose. That was ultimately their new reality.
Tong Bao’s refusal to adapt to the new reality that was a capitalist market was counter-productive to his family. He vehemently refuses to analyze or even explore the new technology of the “foreign devils” while some of it would have helped the family to get higher returns for their effort. His over-reliance on traditional economic activities also results in the family being in deficit and sinking deeper in debt come the end of the spring silkworm season.
Bao detests anything labeled foreign or appearing modern and progressive. He clashes with his son A Duo and his daughter in law over the foreign silkworms who represent a new generation that is willing to adapt to change and even embrace the change to derive economic benefit. The clash here is that the reality is a more enlightened generation from the older one such that even traditional roles are reversed. His son and daughter in law try to advise him a role which traditionally would have played the other way round.
Tong Bao’s superstitious beliefs also portray a growing disconnect with reality. The superstition point to a strong desire to hold tight to backward traditions despite the modernization and increasing level of enlightment. Old Tong Bao uses old superstitions to guide his actions. Bao makes his family sacrifice a meal to buy a tray pasting paper. It is comic to some extent how the family makes huge sacrifices and work relentlessly to feed and care for the silkworms which eventually are not the answer to their economic problems.
Most of the women in Spring Silkworms are
typically nurturers, so it is interesting to take note of the outcomes deviant ladies in the story face. Lotus is depicted as an indecent, man-craving woman, who has a notoriety around town. Considering Lotus' character and Mao Dun's polarization of ladies, we are not astounded to discover that of all the families raising silkworms, just Lotus' family suffers some form of misfortune.
Women also have an elevated role in the society with the modernization. Bao consults with his daughter in law about financial decisions that affect the whole family. His wife additionally takes it upon herself to reel the silk from the ninety catties brought back and pawned the silk for a bag of rice they had previously pawned.
The monetary calamity that the workers in Spring Silkworms fall into can be ascribed to two noteworthy things. The first being the war with the Japanese and the second being that the villagers were not able modernize and adjust to the changing times around them. The war with the Japanese had resulted in all the silk filatures to shutting down and all the rich individuals in the market town to escape. There are various illustrations of times when the villagers absurdly clutched to their old traditions and therefore they were left with only more distress. The most conspicuous example of this would be their unwillingness to rear the foreign spring silkworms. At last we see that if the villagers reared the foreign silkworms they would have wound up with more benefit and might have possessed the capacity to save up some cash.
Works cited
- Dun, M. (1979). Spring Silkworms: And Other Stories. Foreign Languages Press.
