The era's mistakes that have cost many lives and youth have no one to take responsibility - Reflections on "The Case of Lu Fan Yan"

Jul 18, 2025#读书9

AI Translation

This post is translated from Chinese into English through AI.View Original

AI-generated summary

The novel appears to be a composite of various personal experiences, particularly detailing the harrowing realities of forced labor camps, suggesting extensive research by the author into the lives of multiple inmates. While the depictions are brutal, they likely understate the true horrors, including mass starvation and cannibalism. The return to Shanghai illustrates the psychological torment of living under constant surveillance and the fear of denunciation, reflecting a pervasive "red terror" that, while less overt today, still subtly influences people's behavior through self-censorship. The ending seems to offer closure, yet it leaves the crucial question of accountability for these sufferings unanswered, hinting that a deeper understanding and evaluation of this history may emerge in the future.

This novel seems to be modified and grafted based on the experiences of multiple individuals. The section on labor reform is written in great detail, making it shocking to read; it is evident that the author investigated the experiences of several labor reform prisoners and processed them artistically. The descriptions in the book are already quite brutal, but the reality is likely even more terrifying, with mass starvation and cannibalism only briefly mentioned.

The depiction of returning to Shanghai conveys that large prisons inflict more damage on individuals' bodies and minds than small ones. Everyone exists in a terrifying atmosphere of being monitored, where they could be reported and arrested at any moment. This red terror may not seem as obvious now, but it actually persists, only more covertly and intelligently, silently altering people's psychology, leading them to self-censor and self-castrate, losing their sense of self.

The ending of the book appears to be a happy reunion, but in reality, the most important question remains: who is responsible for these sufferings? There is no clear answer, and at this stage, it is impossible to have one. Perhaps in the future, everyone will be able to truly understand this history and genuinely evaluate it.