ABSTRACT
Lao She, pen name for Shu Qingchun (1899–1966), is one of the most widely read authors of modern Chinese fiction. He was born into a Manchu family in Beijing. His father, an imperial guard, was killed during the Boxer rebellion against foreign imperialists in 1900. His mother supported him by washing clothes for soldiers. He was the only one in the family who learnt to read and write, but being so poor, he often came home from school to find that there was nothing to eat. 1 Knowing hardships and social injustices at first hand, he developed a strong sense of solidarity with the poor classes. He went to Beijing Normal school, which provided free tuition, and spent his free time at local teahouses listening to storytellers. 2 After graduation in 1917, he got a job as a school principal. He took a keen interest in the New Culture Movement and read all the publications he could get hold of during the time of the May Fourth movement. 3 He was promoted to a job at the Bureau of Education, but loathing the corruption and nepotism there, he left to become a teacher. 4
