Cultural besieged city in Fortress Besieged

(Commentator Zhao Jingyi) Qian Zhongshu's wife Jiang Yang wrote at the beginning of the TV series Fortress Besieged: "The main connotation of Fortress Besieged is that people in the city want to escape and people outside the city want to rush in. Whether it is marriage or career, the wishes of life are mostly the same. "

My intuitive feeling of reading Fortress Besieged is just like the feeling given to me by the title, which is an unspeakable depression and shame. After reading and closing the book, I couldn't help thinking deeply. ...

There have been many comments on the meaning of "besieged city": some people think it is "besieged city", "castle" and "birdcage" of love, marriage and family; Some people think it is an intellectual "besieged city"; Some people think that it is the "besieged city" of the whole society, even the "besieged city" of mankind.

In my opinion, "Fortress Besieged" is actually a "besieged city" of China traditional culture and a "besieged city" of western modern culture. Fang Hung-chien, the hero, escaped from one besieged city, but unfortunately entered another besieged city, and went on and on. In fact, whether it is love, marriage or career, whether it is intellectuals or all mankind, they are also facing such a cultural "siege".

For people in Fortress Besieged, the first besieged city that they can't get out of is the traditional culture of China. Under the domination of China's traditional culture, it seems that the study of knowledge lies not in knowledge itself but in intrigues beyond knowledge; It is not the ability to do things, but the academic diploma, study abroad title, professor title, interpersonal relationship, family background, power status ... In the traditional cultural environment, the development of intellectuals is limited by the ruling order, and intellectuals who want to break out of the "ruling siege" eventually fail without exception; The more kind and upright intellectuals are, the more incompetent and useless they are, the more brilliant and knowledgeable they are, and the less likely they are to get the development opportunities to display their talents and realize life revenge. Intellectuals who lack individuality, weakness and mobility have a sense of hardship, but they can't save the society ... Fang Hung-chien's personal tragedy vividly shows us "the besieged city of modern people under the traditional culture of China".

Furthermore, modern western culture is also a "besieged city". In the besieged city of modern culture, modern China people are depressed and contradictory, but they are helpless. They feel lonely, afraid and depressed, and people are gradually alienated from themselves, others, nature and society ... This shows that modern people's sense of panic, emptiness, worthlessness and sense of belonging can be seen at a glance.

Existentialism believes that people's living conditions and feelings are loneliness, and Fortress Besieged is a manifestation of the difficult loneliness dilemma. From the bottom of his heart to the depths of his soul, Fang Hung-chien deeply felt that "the loneliness in the crowd and the desolation in the excitement made him like many people living on this island, and his heart seemed to be an island without berthing". In the mysterious strange circle of modern culture besieged city, what you want can't be obtained, and what you get doesn't want; What is visible is not reality, and what is invisible is no longer a dream ... Fang Hung-chien is the epitome of the kind of person who lives in excitement and loneliness and is in a dilemma.

In Fortress Besieged, Qian Zhongshu's siege is the siege of every modern China, and Qian Zhongshu's confusion is the confusion of the whole China culture.