Red Sorghum, A Novel Of Magical Realism

Red Sorghum
Name
Tutor’s Name
Institution
Red Sorghum
Introduction
Red Sorghum, a novel of magical realism, was the first novel by Mo Yan, born Guan Moye, is one of his best-selling books. Published in 1986, the book extensively tells a family story that spans three generations (Yan, 2012). The novel covers the volumes “Red Sorghum,” “Sorghum Wine,” ”Dog Ways,” “Sorghum Funeral,” and “Strange Death” in telling the story of the Shandong family, from 1923 to 1976. The author uses first-person narration who in detail tells the story of his grandmother. There are many styles and captivating themes that are presented in the book. Originally written in Chinese, the story was translated by Howard Goldbalt titled it Red Sorghum: A story of China.
In the study of the book, learners should be able to talk about the plot of the story. Of other importance to know is the time the story is told; the historical context of the book. The themes present in the book need to be well discussed, putting into consideration the way the themes are portrayed. A learner should also talk about the believability of the characters and the way they are drawn. In relating to real life, the Chinese model is also taken into account as brought out from the book.
Before the publication of the volumes into a single book, they were published serially in some magazines in 1986. Dog Ways was published in the April issue of Shinyue with Sorghum Wine following in the July issue of PLA Arts. Sorghum Funeral came in the August copy of Beijing Wenxue and while Strange Death culminated the series in the November to December copy of Kunlun Magazine. These serial publications caught the attention of director Zhang Yimou, who proposed to Mo to make the novel into a film. The following year saw the publication of the book which occurred almost the same time as the release of the movie Red Sorghum that won the Golden Bear in the Berlin Film Festival. The film is in context with the book.
The Author
Guan Moye, widely known by his pen name, Mo Yan was born in 1955 in the Gaomi County in Shandong, China. He was born to a family of farmers. Born at a period when there was some unrest in the region, Mo joined the army in later years. When he left school, he joined his family in working on the farm before getting to work in a cotton industry at 18. He started writing while still a soldier and most of his stories tell of the struggles undergone by people during the war. He received a literary award from the PLA Magazine and later joined the People’s Library Army Arts College, where he adopted the pen name, Mo Yan. Some of his others include The Garlic Ballads and Explosions and Other Stories, among other stories. Mo Yan is an established Chinese novelist and a short story writer.
Summary of Plot of the Novel and Historical Context
The three main things that made Mo write the book are the brutalities of the Sino-Japanese war, his home place, Gaomi and the stories he grew up hearing. Told in the first person, the story tells of a boy’s grandfather who was a soldier in Commander Yu’s army. The book also touches on how the Chinese fought to keep their culture that span in the three generation period. This is a novel about a family and myths that are expressed in a flashback mode. The story is about the generation of the Shandong family. Initially, the family depended on wine-making, an activity that was disintegrated due to war — the narrator talks of how his grandmother was forced into marrying an old man against her wish. She, however, takes over the man’s property after his death due to leprosy. Mo tells of the miseries war brought to the Shandong family and the sexual sins the members of the family committed, including the torture of two significant men.
The writer also portrays the two-sided character of Commander Yu and the tortures Of Uncle Arhat in the hands of the cruel Japanese. The epic of the torture is when Arhat is skinned alive. The finale is when the grandson pays respect to his Grandmother’s grave. The body was later exhumed, and the Grandmother gave a befitting burial.
The 1937-1945 periods were very trying for people living in China and Japan. This is because the two countries were in a feud that led to a very ugly war that left many dead and thousands homeless. In his later years, Mo was a soldier, so he has the experience of what is it to be in a war. He talks of the brutal people faced from the soldiers of the antagonist countries. Mo also points out such trials like bad weather, lack of food and separation from family and friends.
Themes ...