Melodies of the Dust Land Chapter 13

In feudal society, the direct opposite of feudal ethics is human nature.

For individual works that describe a lot of things between men and women without much ideological content, we should also look at them from two aspects: on the one hand, such works have some vulgar flavor to varying degrees, which is the influence of the ruling class’s life style on the working people. The result of ideological influence is the imprint of society on working people, and it should be denied. 

For realist creative methods, this kind of naturalistic description is also undesirable. The reason is that such a description superficializes the rich life and lacks the necessary generalization power; on the other hand, it should also be noted that in feudal society, working people have always been treated as cattle and horses, and the ruling class does not think that love has anything to do with these things. What does "cow and horse" have to do with each other? The working people's pursuit and desire for a better life have been smashed to pieces by real life, and their spirits have been suppressed and destroyed. What else has society left to them besides the human instincts of food, clothing, and "men and women"? Such works allow us to see the "primitive" living conditions of the working people under feudal slavery, and to see this group of "primitive people" whose spirits have been severely damaged.

Therefore, such works still have an understanding of social life. Moreover, the "primitive life" of "primitive people" reflected in the working people is essentially different from the corrupt life of those feudal classes. "That is an abnormal performance of normal requirements."①

① He Qifang: "On Folk Songs".