Love-Letters and Privacy in Modern China : The Intimate Lives of Lu Xun and Xu Guangping (Studies on Contemporary China)

This book opens up three new topics in modern Chinese literary history: the intimate lives of modern China's most famous literary couple, Lu Xun and Xu Guangping; real and imagined love-letters in modern Chinese literature; and the contents, functions, and values of privacy held by one couple in twentieth-century China as shown by a comparison between the edited and unedited versions of their letters. Title Page......Page 4 Contents......Page 8 Abbreviations......Page 14 Acknowledgements......Page 10 Dramatis Personae......Page 12 Letters as a Literary Genre......Page 16 Privacy......Page 17 Letters and Privacy......Page 18 Structure......Page 19 Sources......Page 20 Part I: Intimate Lives......Page 26 2: Xu Guangping ‘in the Front Row’: 1898–1925......Page 28 3: Lu Xun’s ‘Life without Love’: 1881–1925......Page 33 4: Courtship: March 1925–August 1926......Page 43 5: Separation: September 1926–January 1927......Page 60 6: Living Together: January 1927–June 1929......Page 70 7: Birth and Death: 1929–68......Page 79 Part II: Real and Imagined Letters......Page 96 8: Traditional Chinese and Western Letters......Page 98 9: Modern Chinese Letters and Epistolary Fiction......Page 105 10: The Making of Letters between Two......Page 109 The Origins of Letters between Two......Page 110 Compiling Letters between Two......Page 111 Editing Letters between Two......Page 112 The Preface to Letters between Two......Page 114 Printing and Publishing......Page 116 Frequency......Page 118 Appearance......Page 120 Forms of address......Page 121 Summary......Page 126 The Letters Themselves......Page 127 Courtship......Page 131 Exchanging Views......Page 134 Philosophy of Life......Page 145 The Uses of Love-Letters......Page 147 Summary......Page 148 Part III: Searching for Privacy......Page 150 13: Mapping Personal Space......Page 152 Initial Attraction......Page 156 Irregular Unions......Page 157 Age and Gender Reversal......Page 158 Hitting and Being Hit......Page 159 Love Tokens......Page 160 Pain at Separation......Page 161 Cohabitation......Page 163 Reflections on the Future......Page 164 Summary......Page 165 15: Bodies, Bodily Functions and Activities, and Hygiene......Page 167 Bathing and Personal Hygiene......Page 168 Excretion......Page 169 General Health and Appearance......Page 170 Drinking......Page 171 Summary......Page 172 16: Domestic Life and Habits......Page 173 Summary......Page 174 Xu Guangping on her Relations, 1925–6......Page 175 Xu Guangping on Lu Xun’s Family, 1925–6......Page 176 Lu Xun on his Family, 1926......Page 177 Lu Xun’s Family in 1929......Page 178 Summary......Page 179 Lu Xun and Sun Fuyuan, 1925–6......Page 180 From Friend to Enemy......Page 181 Summary......Page 185 Xu Guangping’s Political Views in 1925......Page 186 Lu Xun on Worthy Causes, 1925......Page 187 Lu Xun in Amoy......Page 188 Xu Guangping in Canton......Page 189 Summary......Page 190 Lu Xun’s Emotional Prudery......Page 191 Lu Xun’s Future Path......Page 192 Mutual Praise and Criticism......Page 193 Self-Analysis and Self-Criticism......Page 194 Language and Style......Page 195 Summary......Page 196 21: Rumour and Gossip......Page 197 Dawning Awareness, 1925......Page 198 Mounting Anger, 1926......Page 199 Summary......Page 200 Secrets and Secrecy......Page 202 Solitude and Seclusion......Page 205 Private/Selfish Interests......Page 207 Summary......Page 209 Contents......Page 210 Mechanisms......Page 211 Values......Page 215 Conceptualization......Page 216 Summary......Page 218 Part IV: Conclusion......Page 220 24: Revealing to Conceal: Letters between Two and the Original Correspondence......Page 222 Notes......Page 225 References......Page 294 Index......Page 314 This Book Opens Up Three New Topics In Modern Chinese Literary History: The Intimate Lives Of Lu Xun And Xu Guangping As A Couple; Real And Imagined Love-letters In Modern Chinese Literature; And Concepts Of Privacy In China. The Scandalous Affair Between Modern China's Greatest Writer And His Former Student Is Revealed In Their Letters To Each Other Between 1925 And 1929. Publication Of The Letters In A Heavily Edited Version In 1933 Was Intended Partly To Profit From A Current Trend For Literary Couples To Publish Their Private Letters, But Another Reason Was To Assert Control Over Their Love Story, Taking It Away From The Gossip-mongers. The Biographies In Part I, Based On The Unedited Letters, Reveal Such Hitherto Neglected Information As Xu Guangping's Early Tendencies Towards Lesbianism; Her Gender Reversal Games And Lu Xun's Willing Participation In Them; Xu Guangping's Two Early Attempts At Suicide; And Lu Xun's Attempts To Play Down Xu Guangping's Political Activism And To Impress Readers With His Own Militancy. Part Ii Shows How Lu Xun Chose To Publish Their Edited Letters In The Context Of Current Chinese Epistolary Fiction And Love-letters Published By Their Authors. Part Iii Provides Unique Evidence On The Nature Of Privacy In Modern China Through A Comparison Between The Unedited And Edited Correspondence. Textual Evidence Shows Their Intimate Secrets About Their Affairs, Their Bodies, And Their Domestic Lives; Their Fear Of Gossip; Their Longing For A Secluded Life Together; And Their Ambivalent Attitudes Towards The Traditional Conflict Between Public Service And Private Or Selfish Interests. Although It Has Sometimes Been Claimed That Chinese Culture Lacks A Sense Of Privacy, This Study Reveals The Contents, Functions, And Values Of Privacy In China In The Early Twentieth Century.--jacket. 1. Introduction -- Pt. I. Intimate Lives. 2. Xu Guangping 'in The Front Row': 1898-1925. 3. Lu Xun's 'life Without Love': 1881-1925. 4. Courtship: March 1925-august 1926. 5. Separation: September 1926-january 1927. 6. Living Together: January 1927-june 1929. 7. Birth And Death: 1929-68 -- Pt. Ii. Real And Imagined Letters. 8. Traditional Chinese And Western Letters. 9. Modern Chinese Letters And Epistolary Fiction. 10. The Making Of Letters Between Two. 11. Frequency, Appearance, And Terms Of Address. 12. Defining Identities, Testing Roles -- Pt. Iii. Searching For Privacy. 13. Mapping Personal Space. 14. Sex And Sexual Relationships. 15. Bodies, Bodily Functions And Activities, And Hygiene. 16. Domestic Life And Habits. [translated By] Bonnie S. Mcdougall. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 279-298) And Index. This work opens up three topics in modern Chinese literary history: the intimate lives of Lu Xun and Xu Guangping as a couple; real and imagined love-letters in modern Chinese literature; and concepts of privacy in China