Reading Notes of Wildfire

On the long list of books recommended by Professor Wu, I found the name of one of my favorite authors: Long Ying Tai, whose work - Wildfire was chosen by me without a second thought. Recently college students have held increasing interest in authors from Taiwan, such as Yu Guang Zhong, Gao Xing Jian and Long Ying Tai. I am no exception. From See-off, Take It Easy, My Children, to My Dear Andreas and Wildfire, she tells me about the life, the family, the children, the society and the citizenship.
The last book I read, Wildfire, is totally different from the other three. In See-off, Take It Easy, My Children, and My Dear Andreas, I saw a loving mother, a gentle wife, a tender daughter and a wise woman in Long. Although I have been aware of the strong sense of integrity and justice in her, the image of a fierce critic, semi-radical scholar or enthusiastic reform advocator has never occurred to me until I encountered this book-Wildfire.
Wildfire was published in Taiwan 27 years ago in 1985 when all the social problems described in Wildfire were prevailing on the island of Taiwan. People were desperate for money and the environment was completely ignored: emission of the cars and factories polluted the air; waste from chemical plants poisoned rivers and sea, killed fishes, endangered birds. Not only environment was ignored, but also the human lives. In order to earn more, wicked businessmen sold poisonous alcoholic drinks, made illegal cooking-oil, added chemicals to beverages and food. People were living in danger. And because of all this, they grew restless and selfish. How could they care about others when they themselves couldn’t even guarantee their own livings? It’s not only their fault. The government should have taken the responsibility but it dreamed about a great marching to take back the mainland.
27 years elapsed. Have these problems been a past? I don’t think they totally passed but most of them did indeed.
Last semester I was in Tainan, the old capital of Taiwan for half a year as an exchange student. I saw the island with my own eyes, and I felt the island with my own heart. It’s beautiful. In the first place, I seldom noticed any pollution. The old and the young all hold their bags of garbage until they reach the garbage collection center then throw the bags into different dustbins for different garbage. No garbage can been seen on the street because all citizens, old and young, echo government’s appeal to protect the cities’ environment. The water of rivers and sea is clean and clear, and the habitats of the beaches are protected so well that I can see crabs there. The food security is guaranteed. I think you still remember the incident of plasticizer at that time, which angered citizens of Taiwan. Not long after, a series of laws were passed and related departments were superintended even greater. This incident reflected the stubborn existence of food insecurity but also reflected the big environment of caring the life. Taiwanese are well-known for their hospitality. Whenever being asked for help, they reached out with a smile, and sometimes they even get out of their own way to help me, which made me deeply moved. I admire them for their ability and will to care about others. What I saw and felt are contrary to what I read in Wildfire, therefore is this book out of use? Should this book be buried by the history? What does it mean to readers nowadays, especially the college students in mainland?
Once you read it, you know what it means to us.
The problems didn’t disappear, but transmitted to mainland China. What we are experiencing and what we are concerning about are exactly the same as what we read in Wildfire. It’s like a prophecy.
Fifteen weeks ago, I spoke to other members of the Party. I said we were experiencing what people had been in the past of developed countries. No country could be founded clean, safe and free from evil, like no man could be born kind, tender and free from error. What we now suffered would definitely pass away so please be patient and tolerant to our government and party, please be optimistic about our future. I am a Party member and I am optimistic about our future. I also admire the communism. How great it is if people are all honest and kind, if they can restrain themselves from behaving bad, if they care about each other like they are kinsmen, if they try their best to understand each other so that no war will exist, even no conflicts will, if people are tolerant of the differences. It’s not only a dream I believe, it will come true some day. After reading Wildfire, I found myself irresponsible and timid. What I expressed was merely to run away from eyeing the reality of the society directly.
I saw the bright future, but I saw no more.
If Long didn’t speak out to demand reforms, will Taiwan get changed? If citizens didn’t bravely accuse the government of being irresponsible, will plasticizer be banned? Plasticizer, compared with what we are eating, what we are drinking and what we are breathing, is nothing, nothing. 27 years ago, Taiwanese were living in danger; these years, we are. 27 years after, Taiwan gets changed; 27 years from now, will mainland get changed too? I am in doubt.
Despite the fact that I have already realized the necessity to stand up and speak out, I remain silent and “tolerant”. Perhaps it is written in the bones of Chinese to be “tolerant” we have been tolerant for thousands of years. Revolutions took place again and again, but big environment didn’t get changed. Not until the revolutions in 20th century made a success we tore a hole and broke out free. However hard the pioneers fought for next generations, are the generations free at last? No, we are not free. We are freer I have to admit, but we are not free enough, the country is not good enough. How to do my share and change it I know not. Even in face of the problem of the toilet and light I have nothing to do but wait and tolerate. No need to “get angry”, because getting angry lead to no results. Then how can I say I am optimistic about the future? I know, I am waiting for some else to react, some else, but never me. I might follow, but never lead. I am willing to suffer, but not willing to die. I am asking myself, how can our mother land get changed when its children are all like me? What a shame, really.
With a heavy heart I finished reading Wildfire, thinking about what I can do to contribute to the bright future. Since I cannot afford to stand before the machine gun, I can only behave myself. Nevertheless, only behaving myself is not enough, real changes need everyone to behave themselves. So spread the Wildfire, as Professor Wu had done, to whom I am very grateful.

（Because no official translations of the books have been found so all those are out of my own creation: See-off 目送，Take It Easy, My Children 孩子你慢慢来，My Dear Andreas 亲爱的安德烈，Wildfire 野火集.）

李力
200930561125
外国语学院09英语1班