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Mr Ma and Son
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Wikipedia article
'Mr Ma and Son' (simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: rm; literally: "The Two Mas" or "Ma and Son") is a satirical novel written by Chinese author Lao She, first serialized in 1929 in the journal 'Fiction Monthly'. Lao She's third novel, it tells of the experiences of a Chinese father and his son in London after taking over the antique shop of his newly deceased brother.Lao She, 'Mr Ma and Son'. translated by William Dolby and introduced by Julia Lovell. Penguin Modern Classics, Penguin Books, 2013, p. xi
Plot
The novel is divided into five parts. It chronicles the experiences of a Chinese widower, Ma Zeren (simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese), usually referred to in the text as Mr Ma, and his son Ma Wei (simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese: ), as they journey to London to take over an antique shop left by Mr Ma's deceased brother, located near St Paul's Cathedral. They are recommended as lodgers to an English landlady, Mrs Wedderburn, by Mr Ma's English clergyman, Reverend Ely. In the course of the novel, Mr Ma and his son face anti-Chinese racism of all kinds, while Mr Ma falls in love with Mrs Wedderburn and Ma Wei falls for Mrs Wedderburn's daughter, Mary.
The novel is an acerbic satire revealing both the West's prejudice against the Chinese and China's "failure to stand up for itself in the world", according to academic Julia Lovell.Lao She, 'Mr Ma and Son'. translated by William Dolby and introduced by Julia Lovell. Penguin Modern Classics, Penguin Books, 2013, p. xi
Characters
*Ma Zeren (simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese)
*Ma Wei (simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese: )
*Li Zirong (simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese: )
*Reverend Ely (simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese: )
*Mrs Wedderburn (simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese: )
*Mary Wedderburn (simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese: )
*Catherine Ely (simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese: )
References
Category:1929 novels
Category:Chinese Republican era novels
Category:Novels by Lao She
Category:20th-century Chinese novels
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