Elaborate Conflicts Between Life Consciousness And Rational Civilization In Cao Yu's Plays

ChapterⅠ.Compete between life instinct and ethics rulesLife always tends to be rough and careless, but civilization is always delicate and standard. Thus a variety of conflicts is produced inevitably between them. Life instinct needs to strive for free and perceptual living environment, but this process made the person awkward. When people achieve to rebuild their self-value, it also means dispelling the self-value. Therefore, life must break a series of binds in order to gain free and perceptual space for development.Section I. Persons who restrict and rebel——conflict between Zhou Puyuan and Fan Yi in"Thunder Storm"Zhou Puyuan from"Thunder Storm"exactly is the defender of feudalism ethics. He rules the whole family by dignified patriarchal system .He ignores and restricts others'lives. But Fan Yi respects and seeks individual life. The two different kinds of spirit trends have caused grave life conflict.Ought to say , Fan Yi's making life conscious known to public and releasing courageously is affirmatively worth it, but what she defends is the life demands under deformed survival state. So it surely leads to the failure and tragedy ultimately.Section II. Persons who revenge and create crime——conflict between Chou Hu and Jiao Shi in"Wilderness"Fleeing from the prison, Chou Hu's purpose is to find Jiao Yanwang to revenge. But Jiao Yanwang's death made him change his object to Jiao Shi. Jiao Shi is not only the symbol of patriarchal system, but the defender of patriarchal culture. Jiao Shi's ruthless and doubts intensified Chou Hu's hostility and made him kill other people, leaving Jiao Shi alive in the world lonely. However, Chou Hu's revenge did not make him happy, it throw him into double purgatory of spirit and soul. There was no way to run away. The deep-rooted patriarchal ideas made him have to kill firmly. In view of this, if life consciousness is controlled by patriarchal ethics ,the ending is only to destroy.Section III.Awakening and the oppression——conflict between Rui Zhen and Zeng Siyi in"BeiJingers".Rui Zhen and Zeng Siyi are two kinds of women living in the patriarchy. The difference between them is: Zeng Siyi is the defender of patriarchal system and traditional ideas, on behalf of the life shackled by Feudal ethics. But Rui Zhen is a rebel of the feudal system. In the real life, mothers and daughters-in-law relationship is limited by the feudal ethics three cardinal guides and the five constant virtues. Rui Zhen suffered all kinds of pains from Zeng Siyi, even was cursed to death. Rui Zhen was revolting silently. She knows feudal culture is so powerful that the conflict with her mother-in-law can not be settled by herself. The only way to get new life is to flee away from Zeng family. Thus, the conflict between Rui Zhen and Zeng Siyi belongs to relation from mothers and daughters-in-law on surface, but it is confrontation between life consciousness and rational civilization.ChapterⅡ.Primary condition survival and traditional civilization shacklesSpecific existing space and survival rule have raised person's different survival shapes. The person who is shackled by traditional culture can not make the life consciousness widely known because he lacks life fervor. But person who is under primary condition survival demonstrates the life power. So non- rational survival and traditional shackles, different life consciousness and living condition, lead to conflicts inevitably coerced by strong feudal system.Section I.Transparent and muddy——conflict between Zhou Chong and Zhou Puyuan in"Thunder Storm"In the work of"Thunder Storm", Zhou Puyuan and Zhou Chong have different outlooks on life and ethics, this causes conflicts between them. Basic reason is their different life consciousness and living condition. Zhou Chong remains all happy characteristics in human nature and he thinks everything should be beautiful and transparent. He respects females and sympathized with the weak. Such disposition has formed the sharp contrast with his father. They are repelled outside the other's world and had no chance to understand each other.Section II.Powerful and powerless——conflict between Chou Hu and Jiao Daxing in"Wilderness"Chou Hu and Jiao Daxing perform different mental outlooks. Chou Hu is full of primary vitality, but Daxing has no life fervor because of traditional culture. These good brothers which have lived in peace originally are forced to be in sharp opposition for the sin made by Jiao Yanwang before death. The feudalism forced him to kill Da Xing. Deeply grieved facts show that once life consciousness is shackled by feudalism, regardless of powerless man like Da Xing or powerful man like Chou Hu, they can not run away from death.Section III.Hopeful and fabricated——conflict between Su Fang and Zeng Wenqing in"BeiJingers"Su Fang and Zeng Wenqing are a pair of friends from childhood lover, but feudal marriage made them separate. Although he is disappointed to marriage, life and family, Zeng Wenqing wanted to find his own space. The life with long-term high and respected position already caused him to break off the soaring wings, even his love is so pale and weak. Su Fang reposes all her hope on Zeng Wenqing, but he compromises again and again, breaking all her dreams finally. Zeng Wenqing's graceful literary life has already worn his life fervor and what he can offer to Su Fang is to be fabricated. At last Su Fang gets out from the feudal family and goes to find life direction belonging to herself.ChapterⅢ. Perceptual life and rational restrictionThe conflicts between life consciousness and rational civilization not only display between different individuals, but display individuals'innermost contradiction struggles. Life needs perceptual and free existing space, but rational civilization's imprisonment to the perception has strangled human nature's normal demands and alienated humanity's thought and behavior patterns. This makes human beings far away from real life itself gradually, sacrificed in the rational civilization finally.Section I.Spiritual redeemer——conflict of Zhou Puyuan in"Thunder Storm"Zhou Puyuan's complexity always becomes the object which people study. In this section, I will study him from person's angle. Zhou Puyuan has all emotions of average person,but he is different in some ways. Feudal rank thought rooted deeply in his heart, what he has learned from money society is just stony life style. Even more terrible thing is that he is taken captive by such cold life style and turned to be a cold fish. Meanwhile he is contradictory in his inner heart. He could not understand one point that just his neglect of lives causes the tragedy. He failed in the contest between perceptual life and rationalism and became a spiritual redeemer.Section II.Compelled revenge——conflict of Chou Hu in"Wilderness"Chou Hu is originally a good farmer, but Jiao Yanwang's persecution stimulated his intense life consciousness. However this kind of life consciousness realization is restrained to feudal civilization deeply in heart, leading to mind weightlessness and spiritual imbalance. He moved towards the destruction in the self- contradictory conflict. Chou Hu's revolt and awakening belong to the feudal civilization. The feudal culture and morals can"eat people", only can it cause him to become the object which eats.Section III.Sober pain——self-conflict of Zeng Wenqing in"BeiJingers"Zeng Wenqing is the feudal literary representative. The more feudal culture he learns, the more feudal restriction he receives. He also wanted to pursue his own life, but feudal civilization is lulling his nerve like opium. Facing the life, Zeng Wenqing is so exceptionally sober that he thinks he is living like a dead man. He is so disappointed but could do nothing. The more he is sober, the more he is painful. He could only find a painless way in the end to revolt feudalism culture.