My old Home by Lu Xun story summary of class 12

 

My Old Home

Lu Xun

Lu Xun (1881-1936) is the pen name of the writer born Zhou Shuren. He was born to a family with a strong Confucian background. His grandfather served as a high official in Beijing, and his father was also a scholar. Lu Xun has been considered China's greatest writer in the 20th century. He was a short story writer, essayist, and translator who is commonly considered the ‘father of modern Chinese literature.’ His popular novels and short story collections include A Madman's Diary (1918), Kong Yiji (1918), Medicine (1919) and so on. The story ‘My Old Home’ is taken from the short story collection Hometown.
‘My Old Home’ is a story about Xun’s memories, from youth to middle age that depicts the conflict between memories and realities. The story describes how Xun feels while being away from home for many years. Upon arriving at his long-past home, his memories are forced to come to confront with the realities. This story presents a real nostalgic tone to his hometown. He finds many changes during the time of twenty years. Now he has come to take his mother to his workplace.
Characters
1.      Narrator (Lu Xun) - He is the young Master and the narrator.
2.      Runtu- A childhood friend of the narrator
3.      Lu Xun’s father
4.      Hong'er (eight-year-old nephew of the narrator)
5.      ShuiSheng- the son of Runtu.
6.      Mrs. Yang- She is a neighbor, people call her the Beancurd Beauty. She has a bean curd (Milk product selling) shop.  
Summary of the text
In the story, the narrator went toward his hometown after more than twenty years. He was equipped with his old memories in his mind. Xun had memories of his childhood friends and his hometown. It was cold due to winter where the cold wind blows into the cabin of his boat. He looked out a far distance and saw the towns and villages. He had full of memory about his hometown. There was not much progress in his village.  He had a memory of his village as real and as concrete which was permanently printed in his mind. His hometown was lovely and beautiful where the green sky lies above the sky. There were no signs of progress but not actually depressing for him.
His sole purpose of coming home was to sell his home and take his mother to his workplace. His clan (ancestor) who lived there for so many years had already sold their property to other people of the same village. They were planning to leave their hometown very soon – before the New Year. Early in the next morning, he reached to his own gate of his old house. His house was not in good condition, there needed many repairs. There was no sound. When he reached home, his mother had already come out to greet him. There appeared a new face at the back of her. He was a little boy about eight sanding at the distance and observing him. The boy was his nephew named Hong'er. The narrator hadn't seen him before.  
He explained to his mother that he had come to sell the furniture and take her to the town where he had managed some furniture and living place. His mother had already known for the things and sold the heavy furniture and arranged all the baggage. She suggested him to visit all the villagers and relatives before living in their hometown. And she added not to forget to visit Runtu who used to come and ask about him. Runtu was one of his best friends of his childhood.  They used to play and work together in their childhood. His memory flashed back to the time of his childhood. A full moon day- a blue black sky, beneath it a stretch of sandy ground planted with watermelons stretching, standing at the middle of watermelon farm a 12 years young boy, a silver ring around his neck, pitchfork in his hand. The boy tried to stab at a zha but it had easily escaped.
He recalled the days before thirty years when he was only ten years old and his father has not died. There were some religious tasks in his family. His mother was busy managing all the things. They had kept Runtu as a person to care for his family. Runtu had brought to keep his eyes on sacrificial vessels. In his home workers were divided into three groups- 'yearlongers' (work whole year), 'short-timer' (part time worker and 'busy monthers' seasonal workers. Runtu was admitted as a 'yearlonger' worker in his home. Runtu was experienced to set snares (trap) and catch birds. His mother called Runtu kitchen the narrator also went to his childhood friend. Runtu has a purplish (purple in color) round face and wore a round hat. He was wearing a large shimmering silver rind around his neck. His father believed that it was a protection for his son. 
Runtu was shy in his nature but was not with his friends. Once he was excited to see the strange things in the town. He had shared all shots of things with the speaker. The next day the narrator wanted him to catch the birds when there was a good snowfall on the ground. They could make a trap thereby removing the snow and sprinkling some grains on the ground. That attracted the birds which might be trapped. But it was not a good time for doing those things. On summer days they could go to the beach and catch many sea incest as shells – reds, blues, ghost-scarers etc. Runtu and his father had to go to guard the watermelon farm at night. It might be destroyed by the animals like zha which was like a small dog. The narrator felt that he was learning many new things in that place. Runtu was aware of many natural animals and their behaviors but he felt nothing on him.
Unfortunately, there came a new year and Runtu returned to his home with his father. Later on, he sent him a package of shells by way of his father and some beautiful bird feathers too.
And the narrator also sent him some things a few times after that, but they never visited again. His mother told about Runtu whose condition was back so she had provided them some furniture. At that time he heard some woman making a noise outside. He saw a woman about 50s standing before him. Her cheekbones were protruded and her lips were thin who was wearing trousers and standing like a pair of compasses. She was second sister Yang. He hardly recognized her. She worked in a bean curd shop and people used to call her 'Beancurd Beauty'. He remembered her beauty was the thing that was the cause of her business promotion. She laughed and scorned him for not recognizing her. She remarked him as a rich person having three concubines eight-man working around him.
 
During the next few days, he visited his clansmen and relatives who had come there to visit them and help them in their packing goods. One day afternoon there came his old friend Runtu who was not the same Runtu in his memory. He was a tall, round, and ruddy face that had already turned gray and pale and grey, and it was etched with deep wrinkles. The rims of his eyes were swollen and red just like his father's. His clothes were not so good which could keep him warm from the cold. He was really like a farmer of the village whose hands were rough, clumsy, and as cracked as pine bark. There were many words to reveal before him but found no word before him. He simply said, "Brother Runtu, you have arrived". As he was standing he expressed a mixture of happiness and melancholy. His lips were begun to move but no words came out from him. He simply addressed him as "Master".  The narrator didn't like the word 'Master' from his old friend. He told Runtu to call him a brother instead of a master. The narrator finds there was a high wall between them that is made from economic class. His son Shuishen was hiding behind his father Runtu. He was his fifth son. Runtu added that he got his letter long ago and was excited about the news of his coming. His son and Hong'er went to play outside his mother brought something to eat for them. Runtu hesitates to sit together with him. It showed the class discrimination in Chinese society.

Runtu told all about his bad days. He needed money in each and every part of his life which he didn't have. The harvest was not good in those days so Runtu was being poor and poor. It was very difficult for him to pay the tax for the government. He didn't have enough to eat as well. His mother told him to make something in the kitchen and he went out. His mother explained that he was suffering from many things like- famine, harsh taxes, soldiers, bandits, officials, gentry folk (people from the upper class), and many more things like many children, etc making him a lifeless wooden statue. So she spoke him to take whatever he wanted to take from their house. Runtu took two long tables, an incense burner some candlesticks, and a set of scales, etc. He gathered the things and planned to take them on the boat the next day.

Nine days later the time of their departure arrived. Runtu came early in the morning with his daughter to keep eye on the boat. The narrator was busy and there were many people to farewell them. They put all things on the boat and when they were heading to their destination Hong'er asked about their return back with his uncle. But the narrator got surprised by his question before their departure. It was common for him because he was missing his friends there. They left from there gradually familiar landscape disappeared and his heart was filled with a melancholy tone. But he didn't regret it because there was a high wall created between him and his friend. There came an image of Runtu and his behavior of superstition of taking the censer and candlesticks. He remembered his past the life of Runtu and so on. Then calmly went on their journey.