The Brake-stone by Li Rui is a narration about the peasant’s farmers in China in the 1980s. The story is richly told with the characters as well as their undertakings helping in the development of major themes such as poverty.
The historical, as well as cultural background of the story, is seen to be that of ancient China when development had not still been widespread. From the story, the culture at the time allowed wife beating, and there were several stereotypes attached to women and their role in society. They were, for example, seen as sex figures. The Brakeman’s wife, for example, dresses in a way to lure his husband into making love with her. Besides the above, it is evident that at some point, the Brakeman physically abuses her, showing time in history where the above norm prevailed. Another stereotype that can be used to understand the culture of the time is when women are suggested to approach the leader of the harvester’s team. The men thought that the women were at a better position to make him change his mind and assume his duties again.
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There are several literary devices here and there in the story. An example is personification. The mannerism in which the driver of the cart from the wheat field drives is described. At some point, on the wheel coming into hard contact with a sharp stone, it is said to groan, a characteristic that inanimate objects do not possess. Diction is another element of literary device use that is eminent in the story. Slang is used in major parts of the story, signifying the category of the target audience. There is also repetition in the different parts of the story, probably to show the readers the behavior of the characters in the story. "Ten thousand ancestors," for example, is a phrase repeatedly used, probably to mean the rest of the people surrounding the person being addressed.
There are different themes that help in the development of the story. One of the most evident themes is that of poverty among the peasant farmers. Upon their team leader withdrawing from undertaking his usual tasks, the farmers are stranded. They do not have alternative jobs as they are left wondering who would be allocating them the different duties in wheat farms. Besides, they also wonder how they could access relief loans as well as relief grains (Zhao, 1993). The above signifies that they are dependent on menial wheat harvesting jobs, as well as well as relief food, a factor that reflects their level of poverty.
One of the difficulties encountered in analyzing the story is abruptly transitioning into the narration. At some point, the author discusses the challenges as well as the panic that the wheat harvesters are experiencing after their team leader abandons his work. The next minute the story goes on to discuss the conflict between the brakeman and the driver of the cart and how he wants to kill him. Although it is evident that there is conflict in the two scenarios, it is apparent that the transitioning seems to introduce a disconnection between the two parts of the story, making it challenging to interpret the happenings.
The issue that I could personally discuss the story is the organization of the peasant farmers in China at around 1986. It would be great to understand the aspects such as team leaders, the relief the peasant's farmers received as well as how each group was organized. With such, it is possible to learn about their lives and how they transitioned over time as civilization continued to spread in different continents.
References
Zhao, H. Y. (1993). The Lost Boat. Avant-garde fiction from China .
