Pa Chin’s ’family’

All through time, successive generations have rebelled against the values and traditions of their elders. In all countries, including China, new generations have sought to find a different path than that of their past leaders. Traditional values become outdated and are replaced with what the younger society deems as significant. Family concentrates on this very subject. In the novel, three brothers struggle against the outdated Confucian values of their elders. Alike in their dislike of the traditional Confucian system of their grandfather, yet very different in their interactions with him and others, begin to reach beyond the ancient values of Confucianism and strive for a breath of freedom. Their struggles against the old values lead to pain, suffering and eventually achievement for the three of them, however at a harsh price for two brothers.

The story of the first brother, Chueh-hsin, is unquestionably the most upsetting and saddest in this novel. Cheuh-hsin has lived his entire life in reverence and constant conformity with his elders. Although he is an "enlightened" person and does not unconditionally agree with many of the Confucian values, which he follows, he feels that his position in the social hierarchy of the family leaves him no other choice. As the "first son of the first son" he is the head of his household. As a result, he is forced to take on responsibilities he does not want. For this very reason, his two younger brothers, Cheuh-min and Cheuh-hui, scorn him. Chueh-hsin has lived his entire life following a non-resistant strategy. At an early age, he was prohibited from his dreams, by being forced into an arranged marriage, although his heart belonged to another woman, Cousin Mei. Although he comes to love the wife whom he lives with, he can never completely remove Mei from his heart and mind and neither can she, as is evident by her death, which is a result of her internal suffering through the years of separation and broken dreams from Chueh-hsin. In addition, Chueh-hsin hoped that despite his arranged marriage he would at least be able to finish his education and become a high-ranking official as was hoped for him by his mother, of which he only had his tragic memories. Instead, he is removed from school and forced to enter the workforce in order to provide for his family and younger brothers, as dictated by the Confucian values of filial piety.

Although Chueh-hsin did not agree with these values, which so unfairly restricted him from his goals and desires, he felt as if he had no choice but to follow the word of his father and grandfather, the Venerable Master Kao. Towards the end of the novel, Chueh-hsin takes his last harsh blow from the Confucian dictates of his family, when his wife dies during childbirth, as a result of being forced away beyond the safety and comfort of the town and home, because of superstitious values of children being born in a household where a death had recently occurred. When this event occurs, Chueh-hsin realizes that he has made a mistake that is entirely irrevocable and that he himself is largely to blame for in adhering to the values and restrictions of the family. Upon realizing this, he decides to strike back in his own way, against the family, by helping his youngest brother, Chueh-hui, escape at the end of the novel.

Chueh-min is perhaps the wisest and most coolheaded of the three brothers, yet also the most resolute in his actions and decisions; thus he is the one who suffers the least in this novel and fully prevails against the Confucian mandates of his family. Chueh-min stands up for his love of his cousin Chin and prevents the marriage arranged for him by his grandfather from going through, which is an action his two brothers were unwilling to take - their inaction and adherence to the Confucian traditions leads to the deaths of three different women. Chueh-min also rebels against the family by espousing the ideas and thoughts of the new generation, which are so alien and different from those his family holds. He and his brother Chueh-hui are the organizers and contributors to a new magazine which hopes to promote these novel ideas and despite adversity by both their family and the government, they continue on their goal of spreading the "message of truth."

The third and youngest brother, Chueh-hui, is the polar opposite of his eldest brother, Chueh-hsin, and is the most headstrong of the three. He is called the "humanitarian" in his family because despite his upbringing in a traditional, rich and elite family, he cares for the common people and feels more at home with them - an example of this being the fact that he would under no condition sit in a sedan-chair, as he refused to be carried by others. Chueh-hui