Polygamy From China

Raise the Red Lantern (Competition The Wife). Su Tong. Porch, November 2011. 136 p.
Novel “Raise the Red Lantern” is the work of Su Tong prime translated into Indonesian. Novel air-setting 1920 was first published in Chinese, before it was translated into English, Wives and Concubines (1990). Text this novel more popular after being appointed to the big screen with the title of Raise the Red Lantern, directed by Zhang Yimou and Gong Li in the title role. Besides rewarded a number of awards at film festivals the world, this novel helped lead Su Tong to be one of China’s leading writers today.
This novel uncovered female psyche so young wife, cultures, and patriarchy in China in ‘20. Lotus, the central figure in the novel, so the fourth wife of a man named Chen Zuoqian fifties. In China at that time, the number of wives a symbol of wealth and power men.
Lotus new year in college, his father went bankrupt tea factories. Lecture Lotus so neglected. The condition is getting worse family after his father committed suicide in the house. His stepmother told Lotus married than work. With so young wife, his status is lower. Lotus accept marriage as a fourth wife is not resignation, but as a form of resistance. He is not the typical weak young wife. He dared to resist the intrigues of the wicked joy, Mega, and coral, the other three. He was tough, but can also fight the evil.
Staying in one compound is certainly not easy for the four wives. Lotus, as the youngest wife, in addition to learning to understand the characteristics of the other three, is also involved in various intrigues to Chen’s attention. The wives silently they put forward strategies to drop; mutual slander, using black magic, even willing to risk his life to get rid of rivals. The goal is the same, all want to be the most favored wife, so wife number one in the eyes of Mr. Chen. Red lanterns mounted every night in front of one of his wife’s room a marker that Mr. Chen was chosen to accompany the evening.
Gradually, the Lotus so commonplace involved verbal altercation with three other wives. Lotus mouth often quarreling with Coral, a former opera singer who still loved to sing sad songs when you’re upset. Lotus knows Coral affair with a young doctor. On the other hand, Lotus also must serve Swallow, impudent valet. He, who knows who ordered, twice caught using black magic to harm Lotus.
Up came Feipu, son of the first wife. Age Feipu with Lotus not much different. Over time, Feipu expressed his joy at the Lotus. But the status of Lotus as a young mother made Feipu dared not go further.
In addition to the tension involved with the wife of a fellow in a complex home of Mr. Chen, Lotus obsessed and frightened by an abandoned well near his room. He can be the news that the well was haunted. Already three people from the generations before them inhabit the big house. Through Mama Song, Swallow relief maid who died after being forced to swallow Lotus toilet tissue suicides occurred forty years before Lotus became part of the house.
Lotus familiar with surroundings, even foreign to itself. His life is so static in the complex. All things are done or said to people nearby if there is no meaning, disikapinya with antipathy and cynical.
The situation in the complex is getting worse after Mr. Chen Corals caught alone with a doctor on site. Mega catch them. The news reached the ears of Mr. Chen. Lotus witness that did not commit suicide reef dive into the well. By morning, Lotus saw several men carrying Corals have gagged, thrown into a well by the men.
Along with the death of corals in the wells, depression Lotus reached the top. He was so mad. Coming to the end of the story, a new character appears named Bamboo, the fifth wife of Mr. Chen, who is often spotted Lotus talk well.
What distinguishes between the film and the novel translation Indonesian language is the name of character. In the film version, the name Lotus is Songlian, Yuru first wife, second wife Zhuoyun, the third wife of Meishan.