My Old Home Summary and Exercise

Introduction to My Old Home

'My Old Home' is a story about Xun’s memories, from youth to middle age that depicts the conflict between memories and realities. The story describes the diasporic feeling that Xun feels while being away from home for many years. Upon arriving at his long-past home, his memories are forced to come to confront the realities.

👥 Characters

• Narrator (Lu Xun): He is the young Master and the narrator. He is considered a miser in the sense he does not want to give away the furniture to the poor rather wants to sell them.
• Jun Tu: A childhood friend of the narrator.
• Lu Xun’s father: (Mentioned in the context of the family past).
• Hong'er: The eight-year-old nephew of the narrator.
• Runtu: A childhood friend of the narrator and former temporary servant of Lu Xun. He is shy in nature but 'high in spin'.
• Sheng: The son of Runtu.
• Mrs. Yang: A neighbour who accuses the narrator of being miserly. People call her the Beancurd Beauty because she sits in a bean curd (milk products) shop opposite Xun's home.

Short Summary

"My Old Home" is an autobiographical story by the Chinese writer Lu Xun. It tells the activities and happenings of one’s life from youth to old age. The narrator (Lu Xun) presents the conflict between his childhood memories and present realities. Being away for many years, his prior conceptions of the world come into conflict with his realities upon arriving at his long-past home.

The narrator returns to his Old Home after twenty years in 1911, during the fall of the Qin Dynasty. He has a deep longing for his old home and is heartily connected with his hometown. However, he finds his house in a ruined position—worn by twenty years of weather, renovations, and other families. He reconciles with relatives and Mrs. Yang, the "Beancurd Beauty," who accuses him of being miserly for wanting to sell furniture rather than giving it away.

Xun feels depressed to find his hometown in an unprogressive, desolate, and scattered state. His attitude changes as he realizes he has returned only to say "Goodbye." His mother informs him about Runtu and his curiosity to meet him. He recalls their lively, brother-like friendship when Runtu was a part-time labor boy.

Main Summary of My Old Home

Lu Xun’s “My Old Home”, tells the story of one’s memories, from youth to old age, and the confrontation of the delusions created when memories challenge realities. With the protagonist, Lu Xun’s persona, being away from home for so many years, images of glamour, beauty, and respectability framed his childhood, diluting his memories. Upon arriving at his long-past home, his memories are forced to come to terms with the truth, thereby shattering his prior conceptions and understandings of the world.

“Ah! Surely this was not the old home I had remembered for the past twenty years?” the narrator declared as he stood in front of an old, broken-down home. Having been worn down by weather and inhabitants, alike, the house’s old, perceived, splendour was invisible to the eye, only to be seen in that of the mind.

Rationalizing the discrepancy, he tried to convince himself that his “home had always been like this... it was only his mood that had changed because he was coming back to the country without illusions”. Despite his rationalization, it was clear that his memories had deceived him; having transformed his past home into a grand building it had never been.

After recovering from the shock, he was informed that his old friend, Jun-Tu, would be returning. Over thirty years had passed since they last met. A strange picture suddenly flashed into his mind—fleshy details of Jun-Tu’s seaside childhood. His stories were like candy, idealized in every way. The narrator could no longer wait to reacquaint himself with Jun-Tu.

Upon arrival, Jun-Tu assumes a respectful attitude and says clearly: “Master! . . .” The narrator’s memories had deceived him once again. As a child, the narrator was unable to understand class differentiation. Naivety made him believe the friendship was mutual and perfect.

The narrator’s childhood was shattered. Jun-Tu had not even been his equal. Memories had blurred the truth, ignoring class boundaries and the power of money. The true fickleness of one’s mind and past became apparent. The mind changes the past to glorify the individual. facing Jun-Tu means facing poverty within China. His memories had provided a means of protection, a way to detach himself from the inequalities Chinese society produced. Only by confronting his memories was he able to see the realities of China.

📖 About the Story
• Genre: Autobiographical
• Setting: Late 19th century in Shaoxing, Zhejiang, China.

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Character Descriptions:

Lu Hsun: The young master moving out to buy a new home. He insists his mother sell the old furniture, leading to accusations of being miserly.

Jun Tu: A shy yet “high in spirits” servant. Rough life at sea, famine, and social responsibilities cause him to be wary. He acts as an acquaintance rather than a friend after 30 years.

Mrs. Yang: A poor neighbor who always leaves with a piece of family furniture without paying.

Hung erh: Lu Hsun’s shy nephew who befriends Shu Sheng.

Shu Sheng: The 5th son of Jun-Tu; shy but invites Hung erh to visit his home.

Understanding & Themes

The narrator's childhood home was a metaphor. The house is a symbol because it symbolizes the narrator's "old" recollections. The home represents growing up and moving on in life. In conclusion, the story teaches us the important message about moving on and leaving the past behind.

Core Themes:
• Loyalty and Respect: Highlighted through the friendship and later master-servant dynamic.
• Social Barriers: The restrictions of class that stop people from different levels becoming friends.
• Humanity: Being humane prevents a "treadmill's existence."
• Innocence: Childhood relationships are shown as innocent, impartial, and disinterested.

Glossary

Word	Meaning
li	Traditional Chinese unit of distance (1,640 feet).
rationalize	Attempt to explain or justify with logical reasons.
sacrificial vessels	Originally a cauldron for cooking and storing meat.
intercalary	A day or month inserted in the calendar (like Feb 29).
talisman	An object thought to have magic powers.
hedgehog	A small nocturnal mammal with a spiny coat.
concubine	A mistress with lower status than a wife.
treadmill	Monotonous or wearisome, giving no satisfaction.
flabbergasted	Shocked; astonished.

Exercises: Understanding the Text

a. How does the narrator describe his feeling at the arrival of his old home?
→ The narrator has many exciting and happy feelings regarding his old home before his arrival but his exciting feelings convert into depressing ones as he sees his surroundings and environment as unprogressive, desolate and scattered under the clouds which seem lifeless to him.
b. What were the three kinds of servants in China then? What does it indicate?
→ The then three kinds of servants were: 1. Full-timers, 2. Dailies, 3. Part-timers (who work during holidays/festivals). This indicates that contemporary Chinese society had a slavery system and a strict class hierarchy.
c. What makes the narrator nostalgic?
→ The information expressed by the narrator's mother to Runtu makes him nostalgic. He enjoyed and passed time by playing and learning different strange things in his teenage.
d. How did Runtu hunt a Zha at a young age?
→ Runtu hunted a Zha by stabbing at it with his pitchfork at a young age.
e. How does the narrator make a humorous picture of Mrs Yang?
→ He describes her as a bean curd lady and a compass of a geometry box who accuses him of being miserly because he wants to sell his furniture.
f. What factors made Runtu a poor man throughout his life?
→ According to the narrator, the factors were a big family, heavy taxes, social responsibilities, famines, bandits, officials, landed gentry, and class differences.
g. How does the narrator help Runtu before leaving?
→ The narrator helps Runtu by providing old furniture items and other household things. He asks Runtu to take whatever he needs from the old house.
h. How does the author differentiate two kinds of idols?
→ He says superstitious idols are worshipped for immediate needs, but hope isn't an idol but a long-time desire. Runtu worships physical idols, but the narrator realizes hope is for a faraway land.

Reference to the Context

a. The Krishna-Sudama comparison in the Hsun-Runtu friendship.
→ Sudama was Lord Krishna's classmate and a very intimate friend; Krishna was a King and Sudama a poor Brahmin. Similarly, Lu Xun is a rich master and Runtu is very poor. Just as Sudama felt shy visiting Krishna, Runtu felt ashamed and nervous. Both Krishna and Lu Xun helped their friends by providing essential needs and blessings.
b. Childhood relationships as innocent and impartial.
→ The story supports this because Lu Xun and Runtu had a friendship beyond social barriers and class divisions. They played and shared ideas without bias or selfish behavior. Their relationship was pure and disinterested, highlighting that children do not naturally understand social hierarchy.