Fact in Fiction

Kristin Stapleton is Associate Professor of History at the University at Buffalo, State University of New York. She is also the author of Civilizing Chengdu: Chinese Urban Reform, 1895–1937 (2000) and a member of the National Committee on United States–China Relations.

"What a marvelous resource for literature and world history courses! Stapleton provides invaluable insights on one of the most widely read modern Chinese novels, Ba Jin's Family. Beautifully written, Fact in Fiction invites students to research Chinese society and literature, and to explore how fiction shapes historical understanding. An excellent contribution!"—Roberta Martin, Columbia University "This book is beautifully written and a real pleasure to read. It offers a useful complement to Family that will enable readers to understand the social context and political implications of Ba Jin's work. It is also an instructive example of how to read literary sources with attention to their motivation and historical context."—Henrietta Harrison, University of Oxford "With insightful readings and incisive research Kristin Stapleton illustrates how Ba Jin captured the emotional truth about idealistic students in the May Fourth era while over-simplifying the history. The book is a beautiful demonstration of the ways historical research can enhance our understanding of fiction, and fiction can enrich our understanding of history."—Paul S. Ropp, Clark University "By placing Ba Jin's popular novels in the tangible urban environment in early twentieth-century Chengdu, Stapleton provides a wonderful window through which we see a cross-section of Chengdu society"—Zhao Ma, Journal of Social History

• Introduction: Ba Jin's Fiction and Twentieth-Century Chinese History1. Mingfeng: The Life of a Chinese Slave Girl2. The Patriarch: Chengdu's Gentry3. Juexin's City: The Chengdu Economy4. Sedan-Chair Bearers, Beggars, Actors, and Prostitutes: The Worlds of the Urban Poor5. Students, Soldiers, and Warlords: Protest and Warfare in the City6. Qin: Chengdu and the "New Woman"7. Juehui: Revolution, Reform, and Development in ChengduEpilogue: Family and City in China's Twentieth-Century Revolutions