Author:W.SomersetMaugham
Paperback,160pages
PublishedbyVintageClassics
TObreakculturalbarriersistoshortendistancesbetweenhearts.Alongwiththetimes,theWesterners’understandingofChinahaschanged,whichisalsoreflectedinliterature.ForeignerswhotraveledaroundChinaandwroteabouttheChinesefromtheirownperspectivesandculturescreatedaquantityofliteraryworksaboutChinaontheirreturn.
WilliamSomersetMaugham(1874-1965),celebratedBritishnovelistanddramatistinthe20thcentury,wasoneofthem.In1919whenMaughamwas45,hesetoffontouraroundChina,spendingfourmonthstravellingupalongtheYangtzeRiverfor1,500miles,andfinallyreachedShanghaibylandonJanuary3,1920.Thejourneymadeenoughofanimpactonhimtoproduceaseriesofbooks,includingEastofSuez(1922),OnaChineseScreen(1922),ThePaintedVeil(1925),TheLetter(1926),andAhKing(1933),whichformedamajorpartofhisOriental-themedoeuvre.
OnaChineseScreenisacollectionofcraftedsketchesofMaugham’strips,reflectinghisunderstandingofChinaanditspeople.Altogether,thecollectionof58articlespaintsaninterestingcollageoftheauthor’sthoughtsandimpressionsonChina.
Inhisbrightandincisivewriting,MaughampaintedonhisChinesescreenitspeople,scenery,andexperienceshehadinChina;thoseremote,ancient,andmysteriouslandscapesincludingtheawe-inspiringGreatWall,theturbulentYangtzeRiver,thetranquilpaddyfields,thememorialarchway,wallswithbattlements,variedtemples,farmhousesdottedinthebambooforest,androadsidetaverns.Alwaysmoreinterestedinpeoplethanplaces,hedepictedavarietyofChinesepeoplewithapurityofheartgroundedinworldlywisdom,revealingthelocalcustomsaswellastherealitiesofthelifeoftheBritishinChina.
In“ThePhilosopher,”MaughamwroteaboutKuHung-Ming,awell-knownmasterofChineseculture.WhentheauthortraveledtoChongqing,hesetoutfromtheforeignmerchantguilddistricttoaquietandcommodioushousenearNanquanTownwherethemasterdwelledandwrotedowntheiramusingconversations.Everythingfellunderthepurviewoftheseconversations;fromthelivingenvironment,thecharacter’slooksandappearance,andtheirdifferentviewsonWesternandEasterncultures,theauthorgavefullplaytohisspecialtyinwritingabouthumannature,andthusalearnedscholaranduniqueChineseintellectualwasvividlyshown.Inanotherchapter,“Dr.Macalister,”theauthornarratedtheaccountofaBritishmissionarywholivedinChinaforover30years.TheyoungmanwhothoughtthathemightsufferfrompovertyinChinaendeduplivingextravagantlyuponrealizingtheopportunityandMachiavelliantendencies.
Thetitleofthebookhasadeepmeaning.First,screenpaintingsarelinkedwithcontinuousboards,justlikethelooselyconnected58piecesofprose.Second,intheearly20thcentury,theknowledgeoftheBritishonChinawaswithinthenarrowconfinesoftheircolonialmilieu,likethelivingroom’sscreenintheVictorianera,paintedwithChinese-stylepavilionsandpagodas,mountainsandlakes,andpersonagesdressedinflowingrobes.Twogreatlycontrastingworldswereseparatedbythescreen.ThecolonialmindsetofEnglishofthaterawiththeirdeep-seatedprideandprejudicewasinsurmountable.Maugham,withhiscriticalobservation,hopedtopaintalivelypictureofChinaforBritishreaders.Thebook’stitlethusistheuseofsymbolicirony.Third,theauthoralsopaintedtheEnglishofficials,businessmen,adventurers,missionaries,andsocialbutterfliesontheChinesescreen.Hence,thecommonalitiesandconnectednessofhumannaturealsoplayedaninterestingroleinclosingthedistancesbetweentheChineseandBritons.
TheWest’sbiasedimaginationonChinaformedoveraprolongedhistoryattractedMaughamtoChina.However,unlikethevisceralandliteralimagescreatedinotherliteratureorartworks,theauthorrecordedasubjective,yettohim,honestviewofChina,basedonhisdistinctfeelingsandphilosophicalunderstanding.ThatimageofChinainthe20thcentury,tosomeextent,overturnedthearroganceoftheWest,helpingittogetafleetingglimpseofthecommongroundofbothculturesandtheuniquecharmoftraditionalChina.
NewYorkTimespraisedthebookas“afascinatingvolume–vivid,thoughtful,andfullofcolor.”