Lam 1 Kevin Lam Professor Alison Bailey ASIA 342 001 24 November 2020 Reading Response #3 Shen Fu's Six Records of a Life Adrift provides an illustrative view into his experiences and emotions he endures throughout his life. Starting from the first Record we peer into the delights of his marriage with Yun. We then dive into his interest in floral and scenery arrangements, his friendships, and the many little nuances of his daily life within the second Record. However, Shen Fu's Record Three takes a dark turn as we witness his "Sorrows of Hardship" (Sanders 53) when we learn of Yun's foretold death as well as his father and his sons passing. The grim reality within Record Three evokes various reactions and emotions within me that are very different in comparison to the former Records. The lighthearted and jovial portrayal of Shen Fu's life in Records One and Two contrasts the dismal, heavy, and seemingly never ending barrage of misfortune in Record Three. In Records One and Two, we are presented with the love and commitment between Shen Fu and Yun through the nuances of their marriage as well as the delights of floral arrangement and interactions with cherished friends. Reading Records One and Two evoked a sense of tranquility, which made me feel joyful and left me longing for a love as true and deep as Shen Fu and Yun's. Furthermore, the first two Records reminded me that even the simple things in life can bring forth happiness. In stark contrast, the events occurring within Record Three causes the former Records to feel as if it was all just a dream -- like a cascade of misfortune befalls Shen Fu and those around him. Shen Fu's Record Three showcases the hardships of their impoverished lives,
Lam 2 Yun's declining health, the shaky relationship between Shen Fu's father and them and ultimately the untimely death of Yun, his father, and his son. In comparison, Record Three takes on a dreary and heavy tone, which greatly contrasts the lighthearted and cheerful tone of Records One and Two. From marveling at the simple pleasures that brought forth joy in Shen Fu's life in Records One and Two, the 'realness' of the events in Record Three made me feel empathetic to the despair and desolation of Shen Fu as a son, husband, and father.
Lam 3 Works Cited Shen, Fu. Six Records of a Life Adrift. Translated by Graham Sanders, Hackett Pub. Co., 2011.