The Rouge of the North

Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: Eileen Chang has created a vivid and poignant portrait of a young who is trapped in a traditional, patriachal system. Yindi, a lower-class girl, is forced into an unhappy marriage. Her husband is ineffectual and somewhat infantile. Blind and addicted to opium, he can not defend Yindi and himself. Yindi's mother-in-law, Old Mistress, is also a victim of the system herself. She turns her power onto everyone in the house. In reality, after her death, none of her sons gets a dime. In the end, Yindi mistakens her madness as her power. Her insanity escalates as China goes through drastic changes. Chang's prose is captivating; it keeps spinning the fascinating, complex of Yindi. The descriptions are vividly drawn. Chang wrote this novel in English (no translation).

Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: Eileen Chang has created a vivid and poignant portrait of a young who is trapped in a traditional, patriachal system. Yindi, a lower-class girl, is forced into an unhappy marriage. Her husband is ineffectual and somewhat infantile. Blind and addicted to opium, he can not defend Yindi and himself. Yindi's mother-in-law, Old Mistress, is also a victim of the system herself. She turns her power onto everyone in the house. In reality, after her death, none of her sons gets a dime. In the end, Yindi mistakens her madness as her power. Her insanity escalates as China goes through drastic changes. Chang's prose is captivating; it keeps spinning the fascinating, complex of Yindi. The descriptions are vividly drawn. Chang wrote this novel in English (no translation).

Rating:
Summary: Fated Life
Review: In Ding Ling's "Miss Sophia's Diary," in the entry of March 28, the main character, Sophia, makes an honest assessment of her life as a woman: "....why I've felt such bitter despair for so long. Only I know how many tears I've shed....Rather than calling this diary a record of my life, it's more accurate to regard it as the sum of all my tears." In a way, Eileen(Ai-Ling)Chang's Rouge of the North is the sum of Yindi's tears. From a lower class, Yindi is fated to be doomed in a patriarchal system. As a woman, she does not have much choice in deciding whom she's going to marry. Her only shred of freedom is shown when she fantasizes about marrying Young Liu. However, she knows, for more practical reasons, that marrying Young Liu is out of the question. He is poor and unassertive. Her brother and sister-in-law quickly arrange her marriage with a richer family. Little does she know, her new husband is blind and somewhat an invalid, who lies in bed and gets high on opium. The second part, a big bulk of it, devotes to Yindi's life at the Yao's residence. At her new husband's residence, Yindi has to deal with her controlling mother-in-law, Big Mistress, who, after the death of her husband, practically takes over the household. Furthermore, Yindi is more like a babysitter to her husband than she is a wife to him. He refuses to talk about their future or where they're standing as far as family inheritance is concerned. Along with a demanding mother-in-law, Yindi also has to face the other sisters-in-law. They ridicule her of her child-like husband and her sex life. However, later on, Yindi finds out that Third Mistress (or third sister-in-law) is as unhappy as she is. Third Mistress eventually laments to Yindi that Third Master is never home. He is always at a "singsong" house or an opium den. He usually comes home in the wee hour of the night. On top of that, Third Mistress has to concoct all sorts of stories to save him from his mother, Old Mistress. Through out this part of the novel, we also learn that Third Master and Yindi have sexual attraction for each other. Whether or not they carry that relationship further, I am not quite sure. That part of the relationship is rather ambiguous. However, readers can definitely feel the sexual tension or attraction between them. In any cases, it seems that Yindi revels in that kind of tension. She needs attention. Another interesting element in the novel is how Chang creates that competitive sense among these women. They all want to protect each other; unfortunately, they also feel to have the need to stab each other's back. It is like a vicious cycle. In the final part, Yindi gives birth to a boy,Yensheng, which itself is a blessing and a celebration. The birth of a girl would probably not only diminish Yindi's status but also devastate her. Yengsheng also becomes an opium addict. As a child, he has chronic asthma. They breath opium into him to relieve his asthmatic symptoms. Also at this point of the novel, as China is going through drastic changes, so does the Yao family. Old Mistress dies. China is at war with the Japanese. The family wealths are divided among the men, of course. Most of these men are senior members of the family. With the possibility that Yensheng may be inherited the future estate, Yindi's power is spinning out of control. The family is falling apart. Third Master is getting old and being pounded by debt collectors. I think Third Mistress kills herself (I am not sure). Consequently, in the end, we see Yindi gradually becoming powerful, in a mad sense. Eileen (Ai-Ling) Chang has created a brilliant portrait of a young girl going mad because of the patriarchal, recyclic system, in which women are regarded as merely a reproductive opportunity. Whether one sees Yindi as a coward or a victim, one thing is certainly true, she does not have a choice. Like Flaubert's Madame Bovary or any of Austen's female characters, regardless of their status and intelligence, marriage and death are the only two options. The viable option is obvious. After reading The Rouge of the North, one either senses the triumphant of Yindi's perseverance or sees her as a mad concubine who chooses to compromise her dignity for power. Whatever view the readers adopt, one thing is certain, Eileen Chang has written a poignant masterpiece of an incredible woman who perseveres through the confinement by her society.

** Also read Su Tong's Raise the Red Lanterns (also a film by Zhang Yimou) and anything works by Ding Ling **

Rating:
Summary: Fated Life
Review: In Ding Ling's "Miss Sophia's Diary," in the entry of March 28, the main character, Sophia, makes an honest assessment of her life as a woman: "....why I've felt such bitter despair for so long. Only I know how many tears I've shed....Rather than calling this diary a record of my life, it's more accurate to regard it as the sum of all my tears." In a way, Eileen(Ai-Ling)Chang's Rouge of the North is the sum of Yindi's tears. From a lower class, Yindi is fated to be doomed in a patriarchal system. As a woman, she does not have much choice in deciding whom she's going to marry. Her only shred of freedom is shown when she fantasizes about marrying Young Liu. However, she knows, for more practical reasons, that marrying Young Liu is out of the question. He is poor and unassertive. Her brother and sister-in-law quickly arrange her marriage with a richer family. Little does she know, her new husband is blind and somewhat an invalid, who lies in bed and gets high on opium. The second part, a big bulk of it, devotes to Yindi's life at the Yao's residence. At her new husband's residence, Yindi has to deal with her controlling mother-in-law, Big Mistress, who, after the death of her husband, practically takes over the household. Furthermore, Yindi is more like a babysitter to her husband than she is a wife to him. He refuses to talk about their future or where they're standing as far as family inheritance is concerned. Along with a demanding mother-in-law, Yindi also has to face the other sisters-in-law. They ridicule her of her child-like husband and her sex life. However, later on, Yindi finds out that Third Mistress (or third sister-in-law) is as unhappy as she is. Third Mistress eventually laments to Yindi that Third Master is never home. He is always at a "singsong" house or an opium den. He usually comes home in the wee hour of the night. On top of that, Third Mistress has to concoct all sorts of stories to save him from his mother, Old Mistress. Through out this part of the novel, we also learn that Third Master and Yindi have sexual attraction for each other. Whether or not they carry that relationship further, I am not quite sure. That part of the relationship is rather ambiguous. However, readers can definitely feel the sexual tension or attraction between them. In any cases, it seems that Yindi revels in that kind of tension. She needs attention. Another interesting element in the novel is how Chang creates that competitive sense among these women. They all want to protect each other; unfortunately, they also feel to have the need to stab each other's back. It is like a vicious cycle. In the final part, Yindi gives birth to a boy,Yensheng, which itself is a blessing and a celebration. The birth of a girl would probably not only diminish Yindi's status but also devastate her. Yengsheng also becomes an opium addict. As a child, he has chronic asthma. They breath opium into him to relieve his asthmatic symptoms. Also at this point of the novel, as China is going through drastic changes, so does the Yao family. Old Mistress dies. China is at war with the Japanese. The family wealths are divided among the men, of course. Most of these men are senior members of the family. With the possibility that Yensheng may be inherited the future estate, Yindi's power is spinning out of control. The family is falling apart. Third Master is getting old and being pounded by debt collectors. I think Third Mistress kills herself (I am not sure). Consequently, in the end, we see Yindi gradually becoming powerful, in a mad sense. Eileen (Ai-Ling) Chang has created a brilliant portrait of a young girl going mad because of the patriarchal, recyclic system, in which women are regarded as merely a reproductive opportunity. Whether one sees Yindi as a coward or a victim, one thing is certainly true, she does not have a choice. Like Flaubert's Madame Bovary or any of Austen's female characters, regardless of their status and intelligence, marriage and death are the only two options. The viable option is obvious. After reading The Rouge of the North, one either senses the triumphant of Yindi's perseverance or sees her as a mad concubine who chooses to compromise her dignity for power. Whatever view the readers adopt, one thing is certain, Eileen Chang has written a poignant masterpiece of an incredible woman who perseveres through the confinement by her society.

** Also read Su Tong's Raise the Red Lanterns (also a film by Zhang Yimou) and anything works by Ding Ling **

Rating:
Summary: Fated Life
Review: In Ding Ling's "Miss Sophia's Diary," in the entry of March 28, the main character, Sophia, makes an honest assessment of her life as a woman: "....why I've felt such bitter despair for so long. Only I know how many tears I've shed....Rather than calling this diary a record of my life, it's more accurate to regard it as the sum of all my tears." In a way, Eileen(Ai-Ling)Chang's Rouge of the North is the sum of Yindi's tears. From a lower class, Yindi is fated to be doomed in a patriarchal system. As a woman, she does not have much choice in deciding whom she's going to marry. Her only shred of freedom is shown when she fantasizes about marrying Young Liu. However, she knows, for more practical reasons, that marrying Young Liu is out of the question. He is poor and unassertive. Her brother and sister-in-law quickly arrange her marriage with a richer family. Little does she know, her new husband is blind and somewhat an invalid, who lies in bed and gets high on opium. The second part, a big bulk of it, devotes to Yindi's life at the Yao's residence. At her new husband's residence, Yindi has to deal with her controlling mother-in-law, Big Mistress, who, after the death of her husband, practically takes over the household. Furthermore, Yindi is more like a babysitter to her husband than she is a wife to him. He refuses to talk about their future or where they're standing as far as family inheritance is concerned. Along with a demanding mother-in-law, Yindi also has to face the other sisters-in-law. They ridicule her of her child-like husband and her sex life. However, later on, Yindi finds out that Third Mistress (or third sister-in-law) is as unhappy as she is. Third Mistress eventually laments to Yindi that Third Master is never home. He is always at a "singsong" house or an opium den. He usually comes home in the wee hour of the night. On top of that, Third Mistress has to concoct all sorts of stories to save him from his mother, Old Mistress. Through out this part of the novel, we also learn that Third Master and Yindi have sexual attraction for each other. Whether or not they carry that relationship further, I am not quite sure. That part of the relationship is rather ambiguous. However, readers can definitely feel the sexual tension or attraction between them. In any cases, it seems that Yindi revels in that kind of tension. She needs attention. Another interesting element in the novel is how Chang creates that competitive sense among these women. They all want to protect each other; unfortunately, they also feel to have the need to stab each other's back. It is like a vicious cycle. In the final part, Yindi gives birth to a boy,Yensheng, which itself is a blessing and a celebration. The birth of a girl would probably not only diminish Yindi's status but also devastate her. Yengsheng also becomes an opium addict. As a child, he has chronic asthma. They breath opium into him to relieve his asthmatic symptoms. Also at this point of the novel, as China is going through drastic changes, so does the Yao family. Old Mistress dies. China is at war with the Japanese. The family wealths are divided among the men, of course. Most of these men are senior members of the family. With the possibility that Yensheng may be inherited the future estate, Yindi's power is spinning out of control. The family is falling apart. Third Master is getting old and being pounded by debt collectors. I think Third Mistress kills herself (I am not sure). Consequently, in the end, we see Yindi gradually becoming powerful, in a mad sense. Eileen (Ai-Ling) Chang has created a brilliant portrait of a young girl going mad because of the patriarchal, recyclic system, in which women are regarded as merely a reproductive opportunity. Whether one sees Yindi as a coward or a victim, one thing is certainly true, she does not have a choice. Like Flaubert's Madame Bovary or any of Austen's female characters, regardless of their status and intelligence, marriage and death are the only two options. The viable option is obvious. After reading The Rouge of the North, one either senses the triumphant of Yindi's perseverance or sees her as a mad concubine who chooses to compromise her dignity for power. Whatever view the readers adopt, one thing is certain, Eileen Chang has written a poignant masterpiece of an incredible woman who perseveres through the confinement by her society.

** Also read Su Tong's Raise the Red Lanterns (also a film by Zhang Yimou) and anything works by Ding Ling **

Rating:
Summary: Good!
Review: This book is good,too.I am like it.