"My Uncle Hule" is a classic work of Maupassant, the king of the world's short stories, and has been selected as a Chinese textbook for several generations.
When I watched it as a teenager, I didn't know what to say, but now I have tears in my eyes when I look at it again. In middle age, we all lived to be our uncle Hule.
The Philip family
My uncle, Joseph, was born into a very poor family and had two unmarried sisters. My father worked as a junior clerk in a company, working every nine to five, earning not much money, and could only barely make ends meet.
Because of this, I was blamed by my wife. At this time, Joseph's father did not dare to speak back, but just opened his palm and wiped it on his forehead, as if to wipe away the sweat that did not exist. And this action of his father made Joseph very sad when he saw it.
Sometimes, my mother even bought a 15 copper plate of daily necessities, and she had to cut the price with the boss for half a day. The poor life made the family feel a little miserable, but every Sunday, the whole family had to change into decent clothes and go for a walk on the beach.
The father had to change into a long gown, put on a top hat and gloves, and stretch out his arm for the mother to hold. When he saw a big ship coming, my father would always say the words that had not changed hundreds of times: "Well, if the good brother Hule was on this ship, how surprising it would be." ”
My uncle Hule
My uncle, Hule, my father's younger brother, was the only hope for the family at that time, but he had been a scourge to the family before.
In the past, the whole family didn't like him so much, because Hule used to be a *** who not only lost the family wealth in his name, but also took up part of the inheritance belonging to his father.
It was customary at the time to send this family scourge aboard a merchant ship from Havre to New York, and send him to the Americas, where he was left to fend for himself.
Unexpectedly, this became a life opportunity for Hule, he was like a fish in water in America, and the complacent Hule couldn't wait to write back, saying that he would compensate his father for all the losses, and when he came back after making a lot of money, he would let the whole family live a happy life.
At this time, the Philip family was still as sleepy as when Hule had just left. It was such a letter that made Hule suddenly an upright and conscientious person again.
And one of the captains said that Hule had made a fortune in business and rented a large shop. Ten years later, Uncle Hule did not write a letter because he was busy, but his father's hopes grew day by day.
Mother also used to say that as soon as this kind Hule returned, our situation would be different. Over and over again, they imagined how much wealth Hule might bring, and planned again and again how to use the money to buy fancy clothes and villas.
There are more and more people who admire Yule, and there is a little ** who even married the second lady of the Philip family in order to get to know Yule. The family hurriedly agreed to his request and decided to go to the island of Jelsai after the wedding.
In the eyes of the Philip family, as long as Hule returns, they will immediately gain prosperity and wealth, as a commoner class, the Philippe family has maintained an ordinary life for ten years, the quality of life has never improved, and only pinned the hope of life on his uncle Hule.
But their hopes are only so fragile that they show that the hopes of the petty burghers are unrealizable.
What they don't know is that Hule has become poor again after a short period of getting rich.
In order not to disappoint his brother at home, he was reluctant to reveal the truth. When they were excited to buy a few oysters to eat, their father seemed to recognize the old sailor who plucked the oysters as Hule.
He couldn't believe his eyes and confirmed with the captain.
After confirming that it was correct, his father suddenly lost control of his emotions, and he roared angrily: "A big disaster is coming, this damn Yule." ”
The protagonist Joseph saw that his uncle Yule was so depressed, and he couldn't bear it and gave him ten copper plates. When his mother learned about this, she almost burst into a rage: "You are simply crazy, take ten copper plates to this scoundrel." ”
But he didn't say any more, because his father glanced at his son-in-law. They disembarked in a hurry, avoiding Hulele like a god of warmth, and did not take the ship even if they made a long detour on the way back.
What has changed is human beings, and what has not changed is human nature
Some people also think that this is naked human nature, as said in "Zengguang Xianwen": "The poor are in the downtown and no one asks, and the rich have distant relatives in the mountains."
The elder brother missed his rich brother for many years, but after discovering that his younger brother was down, he fled and never knew each other.
When I went to school, the teacher said that this was a profound criticism of the alienation of human nature by money.
Later, it wasn't until he reached the age of the Hule brothers that he slowly understood: behind the coldness of their city, there was still the endless sadness of middle-aged people.
01, I am most afraid of the hope of living as a family, but I can't see the hope of the road ahead. The word middle-aged, only when you are immersed in the scene, can you understand the heaviness of it. When people reach middle age, life never belongs to them.
02. I am most afraid that I will not be able to touch my dreams, but I will not be able to return to my hometown. Hule's predicament is not a realistic portrayal of the wandering wanderer today.
If you can't mix it up and can't go back, this kind of reluctance and entanglement has become the embarrassing status quo of countless migrant workers in big cities.
03, I am most afraid of calculating too clear accounts, overpowering the love that blood is thicker than water. It is the norm of life to do what you can, and it is also human nature to seek advantages and avoid disadvantages.
The times change, what changes is people, and what does not change is human nature.
Write to the end
When they are powerless to change their own circumstances, some people pin their hopes on others, constantly paralyzing themselves, but never self-reflect to find a solution, the author ironically portrays the relationship between people in capitalist society where money is supreme, and when I read it again, I still feel disgusted by the selfishness and power of these petty bourgeoisie who dislike the poor and love the rich.
Other people's attitude towards themselves is not terrible, and it is the most correct way to be self-reliant, self-reliant, and strive for your own life.
At the end of the story, the author Mo Bosang did not give Yu Le salted fish a chance to turn over, and the abrupt ending ended was more thought-provoking.
The writing is humorous and funny, and the plot is full of ups and downs, showing the absurdity and sadness in the adult world. The tragedy of Hule is divided into countless episodes, which are played out in the theater of everyone's life. When I was in school, this essay was the focus of the exam. When he grew up, he became a mirror that reflected the face of each of us.