Love in A Fallen City
“SHANGHAI”S clock were set an hour ahead so the city could “save daylight,” but the Bai family said: “We go by the old clock.” Ten’o clock to them was elecven to everyone else. Their singing was behind the beat; they couldn’t keep up with the huqin of life. ” (111)
In the beginning of the novel, the author alludes the Bai family is a old and traditional family. The author says Shanghai’s clock were set an hour ahead, it means the city Shanghai was moving step forward into the new age. However, the author says Bai family still continued the old and traditional clock, and “couldn’t keep up with the huqin of life”. These all illustrate that Bai family couldn’t follow up the advance of time. The people in Bai family don’t want to change their life, and have same life in the future just like past.
“But here it was just Fourth Master Bai sunk in darkness, sitting alone on a ramshackle balcony and palying the huqin.” (111)
The author alludes the Bai family is old and traditional here again. She uses words “darkness”, “alone” and ramshackle” to emphasize the decay of the Bai family.
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