Class 12 C English
Section: Two Literature (Story)
My Old Home by Lu Xun (Chinese writer)
The story My Old Home is set in a small village of China. The narrator is Lu Xun. It presents the narrator’s home town and its memories. After twenty years, he returns back to his hometown. It is his childhood home. He finds the same condition of his village except few changes. There is no any drastic changes in his village. He has returned back to his village to give his final farewell to his hometown. He wants to to take his family with him in another area. He is shifting his family to his working place.
After reaching the place, he starts to remember his past childhood memories. He meets his childhood friend Runty there. He had great bond with Runtu in the past. Xun was 10 years old when he met Runty for the first time in his family’s ancestral sacrifice. They become close friends during that event. After remembering his memories with Runtu, he meets Mrs Yang.
The narrator becomes happy after seeing Runtu in his house. Runty comes there to meet his childhood friend Runtu. He behaves the narrator (Lu Xun) as his master because of superior position. Runtu considers himself inferior. Runtu is a victim of poverty. Lu Xun’s mother plans to give all leftovers to Runtu because of his poverty. At last, the narrator takes his nephew and his mother with him. He abandons his old childhood home and memories too.
Theme: The story highlights the theme of childhood memories, friendship and responsibility of youth. The narrator remembers his childhood memories after returning back to his village. He recalls his childhood friendship with Runtu. The narrator’s superior position has changed their relation from friends to master servant-relation. In the same way, the story also shows the better truth that youth abandon their ancestral homes after shifting to city. They forget their duty towards ancestors too.
