To Live

“I’m the prodigal son of the Xu family—or, as my dad would say, I’m a bastard.”

This quote represents the catalyst that propels Fugui and his family into poverty, yet also saves their lives in the end. By spending his family’s wealth on gambling and sex, Fugui is no longer the landlord of the land. While he and his family are destitute as a result, after the Civil War, many landlords are executed, including Long Er, the man who became Fugui’s landlord. In this way, Fugui’s prodigal ways both doom and save his family simultaneously.

“Ever since I was little I’ve been hopeless, as my father would say. My teacher used to say I was a rotten piece of wood that could not be carved. Now that I think about it, they were both right. But at the time that’s not how I saw things. I thought, I’ve got money, I’m the only flame the Xu family still has burning. If I’m extinguished, the Xu family will be finished.”

Although Fugui’s character changes throughout the course of the novel, his self-description is a foreshadowing of things to come. Both Fugui’s children and his only grandchild die, meaning that once Fugui dies, so will the Xu family name. Also important to note is that along with the extinction of the Xu family line comes the end of an era. Fugui’s life spans four decades of Chinese history, and by the end of his life a new political age is emerging for China. 

“I wore a white silk shirt, and my hair was smooth and shiny. Standing in front of the mirror and seeing my head of black, flowing hair, I knew that I looked like a rich man.” (Section 2, Page 11)

While this novel portrays many differences between the rich and poor in China, this description demonstrates that a major sign of wealth is physical. Not only can the rich afford soft, silk clothes, but they also have the luxury of clean, lustrous hair.