- Yu Dafu
Yu Dafu (zh-cw|c=郁達夫|p=Yù Dáfū|w=Yu Ta-fu,
December 7 1896 —September 17 1945 ). Born inFuyang, Zhejiang , was a modern Chinese short story writer andpoet .Early years
Yu Dafu's father died at age three, leaving the family poverty-stricken and destitute. He received a number of scholarships through the Chinese government and went on to receive a tradtional Chinese education in
Hangzhou . Chronologically he studied in Jiangxing-Fu Middle School (before he came to Hangzhou), Hangzhou-Fu Middle School, Yuying Academy [http://www.wendian.com.cn/poemzh/n0006/zz_jj.html] (育英学堂, former of the Zhijiang University [http://www.ch.zju.edu.cn/xyjj.php] ).In 1912, he entered Zhijiang University (later its major part merged into
Zhejiang University ) preparatory through examination. He was there only for a sort period before he was expelled for participation in a student strike [http://baike.baidu.com/view/14153.htm] .He then moved to
Japan , where he studiedeconomics at theTokyo Imperial University between 1913 and 1922, where he met other Chinese intellectuals (namely,Guo Moruo ,Zhang Ziping andTian Han ). Together, in 1921 they founded the "Ch'ang-tsao she" ("Creation Society"), which promoted vernacular and modern literature. One of his earlier works "Ch'en-lun", also his most famous, published in Japan in 1921. The work had gained immense popularity in China, shocking the world ofChinese literature with its frank dealing with sex, as well as grievances directed at the incompetence of Chinese government at the time.In 1922, he returned to China as a literary celebrity and worked as the editor of "Creation Quarterly", editing journals and writing short stories. In 1923, after an attack of
tuberculosis , Yu Dafu directed his attention to the welfare of the masses.In 1927, he worked as an editor of the "Hong-shui"
literary magazine . He later came in conflict with theCommunist Party of China and fled back to Japan.econd Sino-Japanese war
After the start of the
Second Sino-Japanese war , he returned to China and worked as a writer of anti-Japanesepropaganda in Hangzhou, and later inZhejiang . From 1938 to 1942, he worked as a literary editor for the newspaperSin Chew Jit Poh inSingapore .In 1942 when the
Imperial Japanese Army invaded Singapore, he was forced to flee toSumatra . Known under a different identity, he settled there among otheroverseas Chinese and began a brewery business with the help of the locals. Later he was forced to help the Japanese military police as an intrepetor when it was discovered that he was one of the few "locals" in the area who could speak Japanese.In 1945, he was arrested by the Kempeitai when his true identity was finally discovered. It is believed that he was executed by the Japanese shortly after the
surrender of Japan .Works
*"Ch'en-lun" "Sinking" (1921)
*"Jih-chi chiu-chung " “"Nine Diaries "” (1927)
*"Kuo-ch'ü" “"The Past" (1927)
*his first novel?? (1928) (moderately successful)
*his second novel?? (1932)
*"Ch'u-pen" "Flight" (1935)His most popular work, breaking all Chinese sales records, was "
Jih-chi chiu-chung " "Nine Diaries ", which detailed his affair with the writer Wang Ying-hsin. The most critically acclaimed work is "Kuo-ch'u" or "The Past", written in 1927, which is said to have psychological depth.Fact|date=February 2007References
*Encyclopædia Britannica 2005 Ultimate Reference Suite DVD, article- "Yü Ta-fu"
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