Echoing Texts :

On Feng Zikai’s “Huazhan de Riji”, in Relation to Sōseki’s “Kaki”

Abstract

　Chinese writer and artist Feng Zikai (1898-1975) is well known for his cartoons and essays. As a cartoonist, he was much influenced by the Japanese painter and poet Takehisa Yumeji. As an essayist, he was greatly influenced by Natsume Sōseki. Sōseki’s presence can especially be found in his early shorter works. In this paper, I will examine the influences from Sōseki’s “Kaki” (1909) on Feng’s “Huazhan de Riji” (1927 “Diary of Huazhan”).

　“Kaki” is a short story about two little children, Kichan and Yokichi. Kichan's father is a bank clerk, Kichan’s family looks down on Yokichi's. Yokichi’s father is a carpenter, and they live in a terraced house just behind Kichan’s house. Kichan and Yokichi are on bad terms. They often quarrel over the hedge. The author portrayed the confrontation between these two families.

　In the first chapter of “Huazhan de Riji” Feng also describes two children. Huazhan is a young boy, and Zheng Deling is the daughter of a neighbour. The two children are on friendly terms with each other. Nevertheless, Huazhan has doubts about the divisions between families, and about the distance between children and adults. However, the theme of “Huazhan de Riji” is similar to that of “Kaki”. Apart from the contrasting portrayals of the relationships between the neighbours, both works feature the motifs of “laughter” and “crying”.

　In the second chapter, the author sketches, from Huazhan’s point of view, the scene of a haircut session in his house. This “barber” is a similar motif to the “female hairdresser” in “Kaki”. And the distance between children and adults is also the subject matter.

　“Huazhan de Riji” bears a striking resemblance to the technique and the theme of “Kaki”. This short piece of Feng is strongly influenced by Sōseki. In adopting the subject and the technique of a predecessor, Feng recreates his own story from his own experiences. This is an important characteristics of his literature.