Yu Da-Fu, Chenlun (Sinking) /郁達夫, 沉淪

Yu Da-Fu, Chenlun (Sinking) /郁達夫, 沉淪

Recognized as one of the most important modern literary voices in the Chinese May Fourth Movement, Yu Da-Fu is known for his daring treatment of sexual desires among educational youths. His writing style shares a slightly likeness with the I-novel* found in Japanese literature. One of the most famous works from this iconic novelist is Chenlun (Sinking), in which he tells the story of a Chinese young man’s life as a foreign student in Japan. Rich, luscious but all the while brooding, Chenlun is a genuine portrayal of a troubled young man whose anxiety for sex and love we all share commonly, and yet, the patriotic spirit that embodies the protagonist, however the readers try to identify, remains so long lost to our generation that it is only unlikely to recall.

The work remotely recalls our first encounter with the young artist in The Sorrow of Young Werther (Die Leiden des jungen Werther) by Goethe, whose melancholic protagonist arouses sympathy from readers over generations. While Werther suffers for his unrequited love, the sentimentality in Yu’s protagonist derives more from the absence of love and the unfulfilled sexual desire. Having all the desire and feelings in the world, but with none to share with, the newly matured young man suffers tremendously an alienation that is hard to endure. Therefore, as he bestows himself upon the healing power of nature and practices the life of romanticists, nature then becomes his only escapade.

The final complaint from the protagonist, rather than an accusation towards the country, is instead a bitter exclamation to call for a more powerful country. For his suffering is not merely the result of his self-disappointment, but also the incompetence in China’s diplomacy in worldly affairs. For modern readers, Yu reminds a time when individual and the country are inseparable; he brings to us the nostalgic feeling towards the time when patriotism is still deeply rooted within every individual. We could not help but wonder since when it has gone from us, and for how long without our awareness.

Chenlun, having much involvement with natural surroundings, is a romantic tale of an upright young man. Yu accurately captures the hollowness and meaninglessness of a lone man’s life; his representation of human desires raw and meanwhile so fundamentally truthful. As one of the most prestigious modernist writers in the early twentieth century, Yu sets for Chinese Literature an example of a character courageous enough to face his true self, a voice that is daring enough to speak out. Stylish but without embellishment, Yu Da-Fu excellently captures in his work the last innocence remained in a maturing individual, an account over a period that has already, regrettably, flown past us without leaving any trace behind.

*I-novel: A genre sprang from Japanese literature in the early twentieth century. It includes works that features realistic and honest self-confession from the protagonist, through whom experiences are represented truthfully.