The
relationship between couple is based on commitment, but the first reason is
supposed to be because of feelings. Marriage is a commitment, but it does not
mean the commitment of love. Some people maybe get married because of love, but
some people have other reasons. In Love
in a Fallen City by Eileen Chang, the characters have the complication of
love by involving financial or social status needs and considering true love
into a marriage. True love cannot be translated as a marriage.
Woman could
trade the beauty to marriage. Bai Liusu is a young and beautiful woman who was
divorced. She could not love someone as purely as a young girl because she need
a new marriage that can help her out of financial problem. Bai is a poor girl,
as she has no choice but to gamble all her life into man. In order to get a
solid marriage, she had to “trade” her beauty and true heart to some man, named
Fan Liuyuan. He is a totally different person from Liusu, was back from
England. He grew up in foreign country but he thought that real Chinese women
are the most beautiful women in the world. Bai attracted him by her real
Chinese style especially her bowing the head. This action always provides man a
sense of protection to woman. Fan not only loved the beauty of Bai, but also
wanted to get her understand all of him. The initial destination of Bai was to
get married with Fan. After spending some time with Fan in Hong Kong, she
confused about Fan. She was angry because thought that Fan don't want to marry
her even though he said he love her. She did not understand why Fan said these
words to her, because all her attentions focused on one question about marriage
and responsibility, which decided her destiny. Marriage was so important to her
that made her lose the ability to love someone without counting the profit she
can earn from the relationship. But Bai didn’t care; as she was sure she is
much more at adept than the man in all-housing things.
Selfishness
could be occurred in relationship. Fan was a real playful boy more than a
commonly good person. Although lots of pretty young girl liked him, he was
attracted by Bai as he saw the same flimsy, conflicted and lonely heart with
him. All the things he did have reasons so he tried his best efforts to make
her understand him. In fact, he knew she didn’t understand his thoughts, but he
was so lonely that he wanted to try an impossible method to win someone’s
understand and true heart. Maybe he had not loved her so deeply, but at least
he wanted her sincerely. Fan still loved Bai even though he knows what her
reason to marry him. So he asked her to
come to Hong Kong again. After the stay with her, he left for England and
promised to come back. The story was ordinary if stopped here. Bai and Fan are
selfish people who try to gain what they need.
A hard
condition and situation can make people more appreciate things. The war
happened in Hong Kong gave the couple a chance to find they need to treasure
each other. The war made people think the meaning of life and love. Nothing
lasts forever and no exceptions. Bai found what she can rely on was this breath
in her body and this person sleeping next to her. Fan was the unique one who
can care about her and she was also the unique one to her. At the end they know
that They did not need trade because what they desired was not as important as
life itself. So they decided to get married. They thought marriage will solved
all the complication of love. But at the end, there is still a lot of questions
about love to them. Couple should love each other not only because they must
live together but also because they understand and appreciate each other from
heart. But the love between Bai and Fan began with a trade rather than
attraction of individuals.
In
conclusion, love in the uncertain world
is as weak as a tender flower, which cannot stand fierce wind. Although love is
a splendid thing, selfish people care more about life. Love in A Fallen City by
Zhang Ailing seems to be a romantic love story, however, it tells a sad story
in my view. As the characters in the story did not love each others truly, the
entire process of love and marriage looked more like a trade. The successful
marriages require support systems, common values, and shared aspirations in
addition to love and mutual understanding (Hassan). The “love” between Bai and
Fan is they need each other to rely on and it is a tragic that true love is
fallen just as Hong Kong. The complication of love itself makes marriage sounds
faithless.
Reference
Eileen
Chang. 2007. Love in a Fallen City. USA: Pinguin Modern
Hassan,
Hasim. 2003. The Making of Successful
Marriage. http://www.asianmatrimonial.org/Indian%20Matrimonial%20articlesaboutmarriage.htm
accessed on 24-7-2012
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