The Language

Yu Hua is famous for his detailed depiction of violence. This characteristic is also shown in this book, especially the section about Nationalist and Liberation Army.  "The guys carrying the stretchers would arch their backs and, running over to an empty space on the ground near us, yell, 'One, two, three.' When they got to three they'd turn the stretchers over as if they were dumping out garbage, then throw the wounded on the ground and leave them. The wounded were in so much pain they screamed out in agony-string after string of their screams and cries reached us"(Yu 71). Combined with actions and descriptions, the scene of injured soldiers becomes so vivid, that readers seemingly hear the sounds of their cries.

The diction is easy to understand, as well as the syntax. The diction between collector narrative and Fugui narrative are a little bit different; the collector would be viewed as more sophisticated. Whereas, Fugui usually drops Chinese idioms in his story, for instance, "poverty lowers the ambition of man"(Yu 47) , "slow bird who starts early"(Yu 224), and "a rotten piece of wood that could not be carved" (Yu 10). The constant idiom use in the book strengthens its cultural connection and make it easier for connection and understanding to the book's audience.