His Writing Style is Old-fashioned —— On Zhou Zuoren's Prose

? When it comes to Zhou Zuoren's prose, everyone says that it is peaceful and dilute, and it is also clear and comfortable. Speaking of blandness, I quite agree. Take the article on wild vegetables in my hometown for example! It goes without saying that such a nostalgic topic, even for middle school students who are new to literature and ink, I am afraid that everyone will be deeply lyrical and deeply attached. However, after reading Zhou Zuoren's article, I feel that it is really just a "light" word. He just likes to talk about wild vegetables in his hometown. At the beginning of the article, he made me feel' disappointed' and strange-"My life is more than one hometown, and all the places I have lived are my hometown. My hometown has no special affection for me, just because I caught a glimpse of Sri Lanka. I met him day and night and got acquainted with him. Just like my neighbor in the country, although not a relative, I sometimes miss him later. I have lived in eastern Zhejiang for more than ten years and in Nanjing and Tokyo for six years. These are my hometown. Now I live in Beijing, so Beijing has become my hometown. " What he said was really plain, plain to cool. He is the first person I know who talks about his hometown like this. Although if you want to write about your hometown, you should be more vulgar and lyrical, but I think there is nothing wrong with Zhou Zuoren saying so. First of all, a poem by Xue Baochai in A Dream of Red Mansions is well said-"Worry makes jade disappear without a trace", but it looks clean when it is dull. Speaking clearly and cleanly can make people not see a kind of sincerity. Secondly, his narrative is very good and well written. Although it is small talk, it is full of charm and vitality. After reading his article, I will have a vague daydream, that is, a cup of tea and a meal, old houses and old trees, and ordinary alleys all have flavors, and this flavor is connected with a deep thinking about life.

? When it comes to the peace and dilution of writing, I think it is not just a writing skill, but Zhou Zuoren's practical style. For example, in "Wild Vegetables in My Hometown", he said that his feelings for his hometown were relatively dull, and he didn't "want to publicize first" or "paint on his back". Reading the whole article is peaceful and diluted. As for what is peace and dilution? I think it is tepid, not manic, not hesitant, not sharp-edged, not gentle. According to China's philosophy, the realm of peace and dilution is very high. Confucianism emphasizes neutralization, while Taoism stresses emptiness. Only in this way can we keep up with the times, without any color, and we will not lose our charm. Zhou Zuoren's prose achievements have always been highly praised by many people because of his perfect brushwork and gentle and diluted style.

? Many of Zhou Zuoren's essays are trivial, and many of them are about snacks, such as bitter tea, drinking tea, talking about tea, tea food in Beijing, talking about wine, snacks in the north and south, and so on. In most articles, he always talks calmly with Kan Kan. In short, drinking tea is drinking tea, and eating snacks is eating snacks. There is no profound or obscure meaning. But why does he like to talk about eating and drinking? In "Tea in Beijing", he seems to have moved some feelings slightly and said a few words of temperament-"We should have some useless games and pleasures besides what is necessary for daily life, so that life is interesting. We watch the sunset, the autumn river, the flowers, the rain, the incense, the wine that can't quench our thirst, and the snacks that can't meet our needs. They are all necessary in life-although they are useless decorations, the more exquisite the better. " Also, there is a passage in "Drinking Tea" that he said-"Drinking tea under the tile paper window, green spring tea, using elegant ceramic tea sets, and two or three people * * *, you can have half a day's leisure, which can be worth ten years' dusty dreams. After drinking tea, it is ok to continue to practice your career, whether it is called profit or not, but occasional outings are also indispensable. I don't think it's appropriate for China to eat more melon seeds when drinking tea. What he can eat when drinking tea should be a light' tea food'. " I appreciate his attitude of pursuing leisure and wealth, and his pursuit itself is a bit "style". His interest is not away from daily use, not for scenes and styles, nor for simple eating, but for an attitude towards life.

? Another feature of Zhou Zuoren's prose is clearness. Although there is a little fun in the long words, they all reveal the bitterness of life. Dilute and peaceful narration is close to a sketch of life, but the pain and boredom of life are natural and will be revealed as long as it is not covered up. In "Bitter Rain", although the author has repeatedly said that in the rainy season, he has all kinds of self-satisfaction in the narrow world, but it always gives people the feeling of unspeakable loneliness and bitterness. Reading Zhou Zuoren's prose, we know that he is convergent, but it is hard to say where he put those convergent ones.

? I think it is precisely because of his peaceful and diluted style that he restrained himself and naturally revealed his attitude towards life, which made his articles rich in depth and significance! As a famous essay writer, Lin Yutang's style is different. He is used to expressing himself, sometimes similar to acting. He is too complacent and detached, but it gives people an unreal feeling. Peaceful and heavy, dry and vigorous, Zhou Zuoren's prose has the demeanor of a scholar.

? In 1930s and 1940s, Zhou Zuoren's prose poems were scarce, but he experimented with a kind of prose with "literary style", that is, he carefully selected his pleasant ancient prose and added his simple and simple annotations to form a prose style. This style has always had different reputations. I think this is the development and sublimation of his early gossip prose, and it is also a breakthrough and innovation in writing style. Due to the peaceful and diluted prose in the early stage, there are few exaggerations and extravagance, and the number of natural words is getting less and less. The reasons are becoming more and more obscure and the feelings are becoming more and more indifferent. Although Wen Gong Chao Ti has attracted many people's words, few people talk about themselves, and there are things that the author does not write. Zhou Zuoren's prose is "expressing ambition". Although he quoted ancient prose, his self-emotion has been clearly reflected and achieved the purpose of "expressing his will". Why don't you say less, or even yourself? When you forget the fish, readers don't have to worry about it. In fact, the ancient prose quoted in this kind of articles organically blends with the author's simple and plain vernacular, which has the beauty of two styles, and the overall style, as Yu Dafu said, "becomes bitter and old, complete, and classified as quaint and vigorous."

? As an important writer of the May 4th New Culture Movement, Zhou Zuoren and other generations' prose creation is completely "starting a new stove", and they have developed and created the tradition of vernacular writing. As a master of prose in this period, Zhou Zuoren's achievements are particularly remarkable. He first introduced the western concept of "beautiful prose" and advocated "narrative" and "artistic" narrative lyric prose, which opened up a new world for new literature. In 1930s and 1940s, he actively borrowed from China's ancient prose and enriched the national cultural characteristics of his prose creation. Under the blending of the old and the new, he became an outstanding family and pushed his prose creation to a high artistic level. Like Zhou Zuoren, he is not only the pioneer of vernacular prose creation, but also promotes the maturity of vernacular prose with the times. He is not only a traditional rebel, but also returns to and inherits the tradition in a sense. This situation is really rare, extremely rare. Writers in the May 4th period, including Zhou Zuoren, not only have a good traditional cultural foundation and self-cultivation, but also are influenced and stirred by foreign advanced culture and ideas. The times nourished them, summoned them, and finally made them achieve outstanding achievements under the background of great changes in modern society.

? What I said above is only a personalized appreciation of Zhou Zuoren's prose, not the whole of Zhou Zuoren's prose creation. Generally speaking, Zhou Zuoren's prose creation has different stages and styles. From the earliest introduction of the concept of "beautiful writing" from the west to the essays advocating "expressing ambition" later, his thoughts and styles have changed. As far as style and writing style are concerned, there are also two styles: impetuous, intense and diluted. The former has more income in Tan Hu Ji and Tan Long Ji, and its ideological significance and social function are more positive. However, what really shows Zhou Zuoren's creative personality and represents his contribution and influence to modern literature is the essays that later expressed his will. This paper mainly discusses Zhou Zuoren's prose of expressing his will.