Hunter and Hussar

Chapter 121 Epilogue Watching and Existence

In "The Hunter and the Hussar", apart from Wen Tianxiang's "Song of Righteousness", the most mentioned text is probably "The Catcher in the Rye" by American writer Jerome David Salinger.Perhaps compared with other texts in the novel, it is not "great", but it is still a work worth reading.In the process of writing the novel, I was actually constantly rereading "The Catcher in the Rye".It both provided inspiration and became what my novel wanted to rewrite (although it did not become an integral part of the text like Sartre's "The Wall").what am i writingA Chinese version of The Catcher in the Rye?I have had such thoughts.

Probably no country in the world will classify "The Catcher in the Rye" as "children's literature".It is neither a narrative from a child's perspective, and the narrator's language is also somewhat "inappropriate for children".When interpreting or researching this text, it has always emphasized its unique historical background and cultural context—the United States after World War II, the hesitation and confusion of young people.At present, some domestic research cuts into the novel from the perspective of psychological trauma, melting the grand historical and cultural background into the specific human psychology and behavior in Salinger's works.

Salinger's novels can naturally reflect the characteristics of these times.But after stripping off these historical and cultural cloaks, we can still see universality from the role of Holden. It is not limited to a country, nation, or era, and it will be a problem that children of any nation may face .The childhood trauma and psychological problems described in the novel are of great concern in today's China.In recent years, the mental health problems of children and adolescents have occurred frequently, and the "rejuvenation" of depression and suicide is an extremely heavy fact.However, the current Chinese children's literature still lacks writing on this issue, and even avoids talking about it, self-castrates, and lacks the courage and ability to face reality.Mr. Lu Xun criticized the national character and believed that Chinese people like to hide and cheat. Then, is it possible that some of our children's literature works are also used as means and tools for concealing and cheating in the process of education and growth?
The protagonist Holden in "The Catcher in the Rye" looks like a "problem boy" and extremely rebellious, but inside he is very simple, cynical, disgusted with the hypocrisy of the adult world, and wants to be the "Watcher in the Rye" who protects the world of children. By".Childhood trauma is an important cause of Holden's character.Numerous essays have explored the characteristics of Holden's era, but less attention has been paid to his personal experience.From the perspective of childhood trauma, the death of his brother Allie is the root cause of Holden's behavior. The reason why there are so many "problems" in "problem teenagers" cannot be attributed to the grand social environment and educational system. How much society is in contact with.We can see that Holden's status in the family is quite marginal: his elder brother is a successful writer and film screenwriter, and his younger siblings are also very smart and cute. Only Holden seems to be a disobedient black sheep who has achieved nothing and is disobedient. It is very difficult to pass other subjects except Chinese.Holden still has deep affection for his family, but the older brother is working the job he hates the most, the younger brother is dead, the mother is wallowing in the loss of her youngest son, and the father will only "kill" him for disobedience.It is his beloved little sister Phoebe who finally stops Holden from wanting to run away from home. "The sign of an immature person is that he is willing to die heroically for a certain cause, and the sign of a mature person is that he is willing to live humbly for a certain cause." That kind of resolute rebellion is in front of the sister's pure love and trust. It doesn't seem to be that strong. From the death of his younger brother to the end of his younger sister's pursuit, Holden stopped wandering and returned to the original place, but the childhood trauma has been healed to a certain extent. The structure of "The Catcher in the Rye" is not so much. complex.

In fact, some of the contents of the novel are quite beneficial to teenagers. Even though people have been criticizing the swear words flying around in the novel (some Chinese translations omit them), readers who are familiar with Salinger will know that the novel is "Spoken words are not bad words".Salinger used goddamn instead of the "national curse" in English - the word starting with F appeared on the wall of his sister's school in the novel, Holden was very angry, in order not to let his sister see this kind of dirty words And wiped it off.The swear words in Holden's mouth have the meaning of blasphemy. "When everyone says a swear word with God, it is actually a low-level form of prayer. The so-called blasphemy was invented by the clergy who made a fuss."There is a lack of such words in Chinese, and most of them are translated as "fucking".Incidentally, there are also some swear words in The Hunter and the Hussar.One is the need for authenticity. In intense sports, it is quite normal to have swearing - even the most gentle athletes will inevitably use swearing.If these contents are deleted, it will make the novel untrue.Dickens' Oliver Twist has been criticized by later generations because Oliver Twist's language is too "civilized".In addition, there are more or less inherited or paid homage to Salinger, such as "damn" in Huang Minxue's mantra-perhaps in China, talking about death so frequently is similar to the blasphemy of God in the context of Christianity.This is a little cleverness of my own.

From a personal point of view, "The Catcher in the Rye" is still not suitable for promotional reading as "children's literature".However, it is feasible to create a novel suitable for contemporary teenagers (especially Chinese teenagers) by combining childhood trauma, psychological problems and social environment.It can be used as a work to cultivate empathy for readers who are not under too much psychological pressure, and it can also give readers who are not so smooth in life the power of hope. This is probably my idea.Thus, a protagonist who also lost his brother early began to narrate in an autobiographical tone.Readers who are familiar with "The Catcher in the Rye" will probably notice at a glance that the deceased brother wrote verses on Copeway's longing glove, which is the plot from Salinger's novel.Of course, in the story that happened in China, Wen Tianxiang's "Song of Righteous Qi" was written on the glove.

But there is still a world of difference between Copeway and Holden, perhaps as great as the difference between China and the United States—at this time we have to return to the specific era and social background. "The Hunter and the Light Cavalry" is a story that takes place in China, and it needs to give readers an extremely familiar context (while the cultural context in "The Catcher in the Rye" is still somewhat unfamiliar to ordinary Chinese readers, This is also an important reason why it is not suitable as a children's book: children can't understand).Endless homework and exams, not-so-comfortable accommodation, campus sports that struggle to survive under the pressure of learning, parents' "investment" and great expectations for their children, the impact of the gap between the rich and the poor on children, and even Ke Peiwei's daily life I want to stay in bed for a few more minutes in the morning. These may be the experiences of children in the past and children in the present.In this environment, it is conceivable that a child with mental health problems due to childhood trauma (but not to the point where severe depression requires drug intervention) can feel lonely and confused, not to mention He is introverted and weak by nature.But Copeway didn't play truant, fight or hang around like Holden, nor did he think about running away from home.Most Chinese children are "regular". Ke Peiwei's family conditions are neither good nor bad. His parents are decent and well-behaved people (engineers, teachers, doctors), and his sister and brother are also excellent in character and learning. A good student, Copeway's own grades are not bad (it can even be said to be very good, but not as good as his friend who is too good).He is a "good boy" trained by his family and school. He usually dare not talk to girls. He is afraid that if he speaks, he will be regarded as "a close relationship between men and women". The fate of finding a job, campus football is at most just the spice of life.Not only Kopeway, but most of the kids on the football team have a similar idea. They are a group of kids who have been raised and trained in this way.However, they also have their own personalities, troubles and persistence. They are not just examination machines, and their lively spirit has not been wiped out from the beginning to the end.

In this environment, Copeway's childhood trauma was not partially released like Holden, but was piled up deep in his heart.So, he doesn't like to communicate with others, like a little hedgehog full of thorns, hiding in his corner.Instead of wandering the streets like Holden, he's internally displaced.And I also gave him a heavier fate: his younger brother's death was indirectly related to him, and he had certain responsibilities—although I think everyone will think that this incident was not Koppwey's fault after reading the novel, but just an accident. Accident.But Copeway still had trouble forgiving himself.As he himself said, playing football is definitely not to "inherit his brother's dream".He thinks this is the most disgusting idea in the world. Isn't it ridiculous that his brother died because of him, and now he wants to inherit his dream?Should the living possess even the dreams of the dead?What's more, no one can confirm that football is my brother's dream, because my brother lost his life before his life was formed.Perhaps the trauma hanging over Coppevi's heart is even greater than that of Holden, which is somewhat similar to that in Simone de Beauvoir's "Other Blood".Therefore, there is also an explanation for Copeway's muddling and stagnation in life, and he is fundamentally unable to bear the responsibility behind his choices and actions.At the beginning of the second volume of the novel, Sartre's "The Wall" appears as a nightmare, which directly shows that what he is facing is not just the plight of life, but has a certain significance of existential philosophy.

Then, it is still existentialism that opens Koppwe's heart.So in many parts after the novel, we can see "The Stranger" or "The Myth of Sisyphus".The back view of Don Quixote rushing towards the windmill and Wen Tianxiang's "Song of Righteous Qi" also point to the certainty of action.From this point of view, the novel is an introduction to the classic texts of existentialism, and it also uses this power of philosophy and literature to inspire the protagonist and even the readers.Bearing your own sins, accepting all punishments, still acting, shouldering responsibilities, and believing that you can be a good person, this is part of the content of the novel.In the end, Copeway was able to face the death of his younger brother and persist in his love for life and life. His strength has a metaphysical source of philosophy.Of course, what cannot be ignored is the company of his partners and relatives. "Theory is gray, but the tree of life is evergreen."In the novel, the relationship between the little protagonists is quite simple, they understand and help each other, and work hard for the same goal. This kind of warmth is the confidence that Copeway can face the past.Holden resolutely turned his head back because of his sister's understanding, but if his teammates or roommates could give him some equal care, or sit and chat with him like the two nuns, maybe he wouldn't Choose to go to the street.

What heals wounds is not just metaphysical concepts, but more care from relatives and peers—the kind of true empathy, not condescending orders.What we can see is that Kopeway is not only the object to be healed, but also the actor to heal others.He is accepting everyone's love, and he is also working hard to help everyone, constantly reflecting on his own behavior, and has extremely high moral requirements for himself.Therefore, the relationship between the characters in the novel is multi-interactive, and the football team seems to have become a utopia of interpersonal relationships. Everyone works together as a group, and at the same time, it really takes into account individual emotions and reason.As a partner, Miller can have such an outstanding performance and unwavering determination at the end of the novel, which is also due to the strong and deep relationship between him and Kopeway.Everyone is a child playing in the wheat field, and they all watch over each other, shouldering the responsibility of protecting each other with their immature shoulders.And the adults behind them, those teachers and parents, are also watchmen with a very positive image, providing children with the direction of love and action, and some ideas about education have also been displayed through them.But this is perhaps the shortcoming of the novel, which glosses over the possible negative problems of people who also have a huge influence on children and young people.Imagine if Copeway's parents would "kill" him at any time like Holden's father, and the teachers were unreasonable, and there were even a few perverts lurking, then the contradictions in the novel would be more abundant and real, but the warm atmosphere would be It will fall very fast.

Therefore, "The Hunter and the Light Cavalry" is somewhat idealized, after all, it is a book written for children-although I think grown-up children may also be willing to read it.At least, I still hope that through it, people can think about life and death, think about the meaning of their own existence, and find the hope of continuing to exist.Perhaps there is no need to look for any reason, it is enough to feel the pure beauty that belongs to children in the novel. "Many things have been told to educate you, but the fond, sacred memories preserved from childhood are perhaps the best. If a man can bring many of these memories to life, he will Even if there is only one good memory left in our hearts, maybe at some point it can be a means of saving us." The "Brothers Karamazov" quoted at the end of the novel just illustrates this truth.

(End of this chapter)