• Journal of Sinology and China Studies
• /
• v.79
• /
• pp.21-39
• /
• 2019

This Thesis tries to give insight into the nature of the period contradiction in Beijing during China's modernization period. I would like to compare Lao She's "Camel Xiang Zi" with Liu Zhenyun's "My name is Liu Yuejin" to proceed with my research. Xiang Zi and Liu Yuejin both came from the countryside to the city with the" Beijing" dream. However, due to accidental events, their dreams are frustrated. The accident led them to a fierce struggle for survival, and to conflict with different classes of society. This paper tries to read the changes of Chinese social class in the 20th century twice from the longitudinal aspect, and to give an in-depth insight into the changes of the consciousness of peasant masses. Xiang Zi is naturally simple, sincere and not afraid of suffering. This personality can be traced back to its immediate superiors. But after coming to the city of Beijing, he becomes increasingly self-centered and evil in a number of humiliation and frustration. Liu Yuejin, who inherited Xiang Zi's character, also has a simple side, but does not pay back the money he borrowed from others and make a forcedly. He can't steal much, but he also steals small amounts of money from restaurants while shopping. His wife is taken away by an alumni, and he sometimes molests another's wife. Xiang Zi tried to do well. Liu Yuejin did not try, nor did he want to be corrupted. He was struggling only for survival. Liu Yuejin's son, Liu Pengju, has no strength, diligence, responsibility, and even a simple dream that can be found in his father's generation. He is a degenerate creature who lives day and day without any vision. When we put Xiang Zi, Liu Yuejin and Liu Pengju together, we can see that they are gradually degenerating over three generations. This indicates the collapse of China's farmers' labor. So far, China's capitalist economic development has achieved the myth of rapid growth at the expense of the peasant masses, but it can be seen as an indication that it may be slowly brought to an end by the peasant masses. Meanwhile, Lutu defined the second generation of peasant laborers as new workers. Recently in China, the labor movement and student Marxism have begun to unite, and they are under constant oppression by the Chinese government. It remains to be seen whether workers can change China's future.