My Old Home by Lu Xun Understanding the text

My Old Home - Lu Xun

Understanding the text

Answer the following questions.

1. How does the narrator decribe 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 surrounding environment have no progress during the last 20 years. He expressed his depressed feelings at first to see on unprogressive, desolate and scattered village under the clouds which seems lifeless to him. Also, he describes his positive feelings regarding the past beauty of his old home which he used to recall time and again in his life. Finally, he adds that his attitude has changed after a long time and he has come with an unhappy mood.



2. What were the three kinds of servants in China then? What does it indicate about contemporary Chinese society?

→ The Three kinds of servants were full-timers, dailes and past-timers in China then. They were divided into three classes. At that time those who wanted all the year for one family were called full-timers; those who were hired by the day were called dailies; and those who farmed their lands and only worked for one family at New Year, during festivals or when rents were being collected were called part-timers.

It indicates the poverty as well as the feudalistic system of Contemporary Chinese society. Rich people used to keep servants for their different kinds of requirements.



3. What makes the narrator nostalgic? What did he do with Runtu in the teenage?

→ The information of the narrator's mother related to Runtu makes the narrator nostalgic. When his mother tells him about the curiosity of Runtu to meet him, he sees Runtu in his reminiscence. In his teenage, he passed his time and enjoyed a lot with Runtu playing and learning various strange skills from him.



4. How did Runtu hunt a Zha in his yound age?

→ Runtu hunted a Zha by stabbing at it in his young age. He tried his best to thrust Zha with his full strength using this tricks.



5. How does the narrator make a humorous picture of Mrs. Yang?

→ The narrator makes a humorous picture of Mrs.Yang through his humorous descriptions. Mrs.Yang appears quite surprisingly in front of the narrator. She is in her pair of trousers, hands on her hips, stands there in a balanced way. The narrator describes her as a pair of compasses of a geometry box with thin lips who is very talkative. He calls her a powdering lady who used to sit in her beancurd shop and was quite famous by her name "A BeanCurd Beauty" in his childhood. Mrs.Yang accuses him of being miserly because he doesn't want to give away his furniture to her rather wants to sell it.



6. According to the narrator, what were different factors that made Runtu a poor man throughout his life?

→ According to the narrator, poverty, big family, social responsibilities, class differences and different other factors made Runtu poor man throughout his life. Due to several factors like famine, taxes, soldiers, bandits, officials, landed gentry, etc. He faced lots of hardships in his life.



7. How does the narrator help Runtu before leaving old home?

→ Before leaving the old home, the narrator helps Runtu by providing him with the old furniture items and other things of his old house. He asks Runtu to take the things of his needs from his old house. Narrator provides Runtu two long tables, an incense burner, some candle sticks, and a set of scales before leaving the old home.



8. How does the author differentiate two kinds of idols?

→ The authour differentiates two kinds of idols saying that a "superstitious idol" is worshipping for a while for something immediate but "hope' as not an idol that he wants somewhere far off in the murky distance.

The author differentiates two kinds of idols through his realization. He says that superstitious idols are worshipped for a short time for something immediate but hope isn't an idol but a long-time desire.