The Story of the Old Things in the South of the City
Old Things in the South of the City was a modern Chinese story about the life and customs in the south of Beijing in the 1920s, including reflections on the culture and traditional values of the old era. The novel uses "I"(the author himself) as the narrator to show the life, thoughts and emotions of the people in the south of the city through the interactions between "I" and several women of different ages. The novel depicted some famous cultural figures, scholars and their family lives, as well as the lives and fates of some ordinary people. The novel presented history in the form of recollection, and through the description of the old things in the south of the city, it expressed thoughts and reflections on Chinese traditional culture and the values of the old era. At the same time, the novel also presents the variety and complexity of the society at that time, and shows the survival and development of human beings in the historical and social changes. Old Things in the South of the City was considered one of Lao She's representative works and a classic in modern Chinese literature. Through its unique narrative style and profound thoughts, it showed the variety and complexity of Chinese society and culture at that time and was hailed as a classic in modern Chinese literature.