Historical Analysis of Andre Malraux's Man's Fate

Andre Malraux's novel, Man's Fate reflects the human realities and costs of war that have been depicted throughout Chinese literature. In his depiction of characters like Ch'en, Ferral, Old Gisor, Kyo and Katov, Malraux gives life to the terrible realities of war that have been seen in humanity as a whole, and are represented in almost any time of war.

Ch'en's struggles with the dehumanizing effects of war reflect the struggles of many men throughout history, as Kyo's unfailing patriotism reflects the Moral Law of warfare written over 2,000 years ago in Sun-Tzu's The Art of War. Similarly, Chinese Poet Tu Fu's "Ballad of the Army Carts" describes the agony of losing loved ones that is seen again within Man's Fate. In Man's Fate, Malraux expertly exposes human emotions and conflicts that are universal to any time of war.

A powerful novel that depicts human loss, difficult decisions, and the conflict of ideologies, Man's Fate won the 1933 Prix Goncourt of literature (Wikipedia) Although Malraux's novel takes place during the emergence of the Chinese Revolution, the human emotions and conflicts it portrays could have occurred within the context of almost any time of historical conflict. The characters in Man's Fate each have their flaws and secrets, and these mirror those seen in humanity as a whole.

As Ch'en murders for the first time, he fears for his own soul and sanity, and these fears allow him to complete the suicide bombing with such apparent exuberance. Ferral, in contrast, possesses a primal need for control that he acts out upon everything around him. Old Gisor's addiction to opium and his love for his son underlie his own emotions and actions, while Kyo's behavior stems from his patriotism and drive to fulfill his people's cause.

Katov sacrifices himself in order to relive the suffering of his comrades before his own. The personal characteristics of Ch'en, Ferral, Old Gisor, Kyo, and Katov can be seen in humanity throughout time, and are often seen especially clearly in times of war. Ch'en's conflicted emotions, Old Gisor's love of his son, Ferral's need for control, and other characteristics depicted by other personalities are seen in war throughout time.

These personal characteristics have been prevalent throughout history, and Malraux's depiction of them during the onset of the Chinese Revolution could be exchanged almost as effectively for another backdrop. In Man's Fate, the dehumanization and disconnection from reality that come with war throughout the ages are clearly depicted. As Ch'en prepares to murder the sleeping form, he grapples with the horror of his impending action, and finds himself caught between his need to murder the man, and the madness of his task.

Malraux writes, "That foot lived like a sleeping animal. Was it attached to a body? "Am I going mad?" He had to see that body -- see it, see that head" (Malraux, 4). Later, as Ch'en murders the man, his actions are set against a backdrop of the ridiculous and absurd, as Malraux writes, "the rattle became regular: the man was not dying, he was snoring. He again became living, vulnerable; and at the same time, Ch'en felt himself ridiculed. The body turned gently towards the right.

Was he going to wake up now? With a blow that would have split a plank Ch'en struck through the gauze..." (Malraux, 5). The murder takes its tools as "A current of unbearable anguish passed between the corpse and himself, through the dagger, his stiffened arm, his aching shoulder, to the very depth of his chest, to his convulsive heart..." (Malraux, 6). Many aspects of warfare itself have not changed for millennia, and these constants are clearly reflected both in Malraux's Man's Fate and earlier depictions of warfare.

Sun-Tzu's The Art of War, written over 2000 years ago in China, clearly shows how many aspects of warfare have remained the same for thousands of years. In The Art of War, Sun-Tzu describes the importance of many techniques of warfare that are germane to the modern world, including, spies, tactics, and planning. Within Man's Fate, Malraux describes many of the same tactics described in The Art of War, showing how many aspects of warfare have remained the same throughout millennia.

Specifically, in The Art of War, Sun-Tzu refers to The Moral Law of warfare, which "causes the people to be in complete accord with their ruler, so that they will follow him regardless of their lives, undismayed by any danger." This unquestioning obedience to The Moral Law of warfare is seen in Malraux's novel as Kyo's unfailing patriotism to his cause over 2,000 years after the writing of The Art of War, within the context of the early days of the Chinese Revolution.

The work of Chinese poet Tu Fu (701-762) clearly shows that many of the emotions and conflicts depicted in Malraux's Man's Fate are universal. In his poems, Tu Fu writes about the social injustices of his time, peasant suffering, and the terrible injustices of war. Within his poem, "Ballard of the Army.