Go north

Xu's "Going North" spans the historical time and geographical space of the Canal, discusses the relationship between people, ordinary people and the Chinese nation, and China and the world, and discusses the influence of the Grand Canal on China's economy, culture, geography and people's spiritual changes. The fate of the canal and generations has continued. "Fate" refers to a kind of connection, the connection between generations in the story, the connection between the canal and the people on the river, the connection between tradition and modernity, and the connection between the nation and the world. The canal is the source of all stories. Go upstream and explore the history and story of the canal, that group of people, that era, that nation. The canal has strong viscosity and tension. It closely links several generations with several stories by crossing the times and overlapping perspectives, and splicing this individual and story into this complete volume.

The Grand Canal is an artery connecting the north and south of China and a mirror of China. Northward is a novel created by writer Xu, and it is an epic work. In this work, there is no accurate protagonist. If there is a similar protagonist, it is only the Grand Canal. From ancient times to present, from west to east, human life is closely related to the development and operation of rivers. However, in literary works, rivers are rarely the main narrative objects. In To the North, the river not only refers to a place and a space, but also a perspective. From this perspective, we can see the cause and effect of the story, the connection between the past and the future, the character characteristics and the turning point of fate of the characters in the story, and also a nation.

First, the collision between tradition and modernity.

The novel embodies modernity in tradition and China's transition from tradition to modernity. The story of Going North is not written in linear time, but the narrative time swings back and forth. From 190 1 to 20 14, the story twists and turns, and the story of the Grand Canal from generation to generation is completely presented to us. On the surface, this novel shows us the history of the rise and fall of the canal. In fact, it has also led to various major events and changes in China at this stage, such as the Reform Movement of 1898, Eight-Nation Alliance, the Boxer Rebellion, War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, the Cultural Revolution, reform and opening up, and so on, among which there are also changes in people's attitudes and concepts towards the canal. These turning points are no longer changes in people, nor changes in time, but changes in history and life.

Polo and his party went upstream along the canal, looking for the world in Kelpolo's eyes and witnessing the arrival of a great era. Xie Wanghe and other descendants used cultural relics and family inheritance to trace back the thoughts and memories of their ancestors through time. They are all continuing some kind of inheritance, and they are all looking for some way to bring this inheritance to a farther future. The canal is related to the fate of many people. Whether in the past, present or future, the canal has always been closely linked with this group of people.

(1) This turning point is reflected in the turning point of the characters' fate and the continuation of the spirit.

The loss of life in the north also shows some progress. Xie Pingyao has a strong sense of seeking knowledge and making progress. He translated from Jiangnan General Manufacturing Bureau to the Governor's Office of Grain Transportation, and then embarked on a trip to the north with Xiao Polo. He cares about current politics, advocates innovation, and witnessed the changes of the times on his way north. Little Poirot and his brother Paul? Dimak also has a strong spirit of seeking knowledge, rationality and romanticism. They came to a foreign country with the spirit of seeking knowledge, exploring exotic customs and customs along the canal. When his lover was hurt, Poirot resolutely chose to fight bravely, and his fighting spirit also inspired many people around him at that time. The spirit of Xie Pingyao's generation continues in their descendants. They got to know each other because of the canal and the gift from little Polo, and both made efforts for the restoration and continuation of the canal.

(b) This turning point is also reflected in the change of the canal and the development of China.

The Grand Canal also has a great influence on China's economy, culture, geography and people's spiritual changes. "Big water makes soup, moving against the current, clear water and green shore, boats in Wupeng Port, Jiangnan style", this is what the Grand Canal used to look like, but now the Canal is "separated from the north and south, polluted by rivers, mechanical ships and prosperous cities". In the rapid development of China, the Canal has suffered a lot. It is stopped, destroyed, repaired and protected. With the continuous improvement of people's living standards, people on the canal stepped onto the land, and the memory of the canal was gradually forgotten and picked up by people. Canal is the gateway to modernization and the future, and ships are tools. The road to the north witnessed the changes of the canal and the development of a country and the progress of the times.

Second, the overlapping of perspectives.

The narrative technique of Going North is very unique. It highlights the development of the article and the turning point of the story through the comparison of multiple perspectives, including the superposition of roles, space and time. From these perspectives, we can see the relationship between the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal and the development of China in the 20th century, and the turning point of China people's fate. On the other hand, this method of overlapping perspectives also broadens the realm and pattern of the novel, so that the theme of the novel is no longer narrow, limited and blunt.

(A) the role perspective

From the role point of view, the story of Polo going north was originally written from the perspective of Xie Pingyao's third-person narrative. From Xie Pingyao's perspective, we can see the personality characteristics of Xiao Polo and his contemporaries, as well as the people and events, scenes and events he experienced on his way to the north. In later stories, we saw Ronaldinho again from the perspective of polo brother Fadel Dimak, and learned the polo story again through the first person. Later, we saw Xiao Polo's experience of going north in Xie Pingyao's Hope of Post-metabolism and Shao Changlai's Descendants' Discussion and Memory. Influenced by the object of exposition, living environment and time gap, the story of little Polo going north will be expounded differently from different perspectives and different people. Through the contrast and overlapping of different characters, two perspectives about the Canal and China appear in the novel. One is the Italian perspective of Poirot and his younger brother Feld Dimak, and the other is the China perspective of Xie Pingyao and Shao. We look at the Canal and China from these angles, and we know more about the history of the Canal and China.

Everyone in "Going North" has their own unique image and personality. In the contrast of personal character, little Polo is a careless person. He is willing to let China people see that he is different and accept the misunderstanding of people around him. Although he is Italian, he has a strong flavor of "China". He has warm and sincere feelings for China. He likes the food in China and will consider letting Shao cook authentic Chinese food for himself on his way north. He will also smoke authentic old Chinese cigarettes with the captain. He also has a girl who likes China. He has a strong ideal spirit. He said he wanted to see the China on the canal, as his idol Kyle Poirot saw. He also said that the scenery and people in Yangzhou are beautiful, but he will also think about his hometown and compare the scenery on the canal to Venice. He has a strong spirit of resistance, and he will fight hard with the Japanese for his beloved girl. China people are Xie Pingyao, familiar with foreign languages, eager for change, and have a strong sense of progress and rebellious spirit. Unlike little Polo, he is a China person who cares about current affairs. He is not free and easy with little Poirot, nor does he stay out of it. He cares about life in China and wants to take practical action for his grand ideal.

(b) Time perspective

In terms of time, northbound travel is parallel in narrative time, one is the story of 190 1 and the other is the story of 20 14. The stories of two generations are going on at the same time, overlapping and overlapping, which is more like a film technique. Several main lines are intertwined, and the canal is the link, and the fate of two generations is related to it. In this novel, although the introduction of the story is complicated and overlapping, it is not difficult to understand. In traditional and modern descriptions, novels have distinctive characteristics and personalities of the times in language, environment and characters. The author grasps the importance of language well, and different stories have their own personality characteristics. The stories of two generations are two main lines, one is the story of 190 1, and the other is the story of 20 14. The canal of 190 1 is clean and clear, the people's life is simple, and the nation is facing crisis and change. The 20 14 canal is messy, and the people live a rich and happy life. Time is flowing, the canal is flowing, the blood in people's hearts is also flowing, and the stories of generations are intertwined. The characters in the stories have proved by actions that time will not erase their feelings for the canal.

(3) Spatial perspective

In space, there are two perspectives: lens and reality. Stories under the lens are often more vivid. There are many stories involving photography and lens in Going North. Little Polo took many photos on his way to the north. He recorded the appearance of the canal in that era with a lens. This is the world that Kyle Poirot walked through and the China Canal in his eyes. He used the lens to record all the novel things, including the scenery and human feelings along the way, as well as the development of the canal and the reform and progress of China. These photos not only reflect the culture and history of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, but also reflect the changes and development of China's social history in the 20th century, and eventually become future generations. In any era, little Polo's camera is a symbol of advanced and avant-garde. He used his camera to freeze the canal and the people in it in photos. But the reality is that the canal is constantly developing and has experienced closure, restoration, destruction and protection. The people on the canal are also changing. Time has passed, and people have experienced death and rebirth. Xie Pingyao's generation became the ancestors of later generations, and the scenery of the canal followed, and the ship gradually changed. Although the times are changing, this way of recording the canal with a lens continues. The young Poirot picked up the camera to record his life and pursue the memory of the canal. Sun Process got the camera of young Polo, and his descendants Sun picked it up. Sun's camera is endowed with personal ideals and significance of the times, whether it is a photo taken by Sun or a documentary filmed by Xie Wanghe. The story of the Canal and the history of China under their lens have certain practical significance. They recorded the development of the canal, recorded the fishermen's sincere feelings for the canal, and recorded the process of people on the canal from ships to land. The photos taken by Sun let Xie Wanghe find a glimmer of light in the dark. Xie Wanghe also used the lens to shoot the documentary "Dahetan" for the canal. The photos of little Polo are records, and the photos of Sun and Xie Wanghe are excavations and discoveries. The canal is constantly changing and developing. The people on the canal stop and go, and the camera is always facing the river. What is fixed in the photo is the reality reflected in the canal. Although it is not comprehensive enough, it is true. Cameras also let more people know about the canal and the reality it faces.

The story of the canal and several generations has been going on, and they have evolved the story of becoming attached to the river, walking and living, and paying attention to the river in their respective destinies. Because of the existence of the canal, different destinies are bound in the same journey. The connection between them is a story and memory passed down from mouth to mouth, and it is also a gift left by ancestors to future generations. On the basis of these connections, continue to trace back to the source, dig out a complete story about the canal, and let the canal gradually change from the background of the story to the protagonist of the story.

The canal is written into the novel, and the history of the canal is presented to people. The canal in the novel overlaps with the canal in reality. The characters in the story may not exist, but the canal still flows in China and people's hearts.