Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze facts for kids
First edition cover
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| Author | Elizabeth Foreman Lewis |
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| Illustrator | Kurt Wiese (1932) Ed Young (1973) |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's novel |
| Published | 1932 (Holt, Rinehart and Winston) |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 320 |
| ISBN | 978-0-8050-8113-8 |
| OCLC | 71126904 |
| LC Class | PZ7.L5849 Yo 2007 |
Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze is a book by Elizabeth Foreman Lewis that won the Newbery Medal for excellence in American children's literature in 1933. The story revolves around Fu Yuin-fah, the son of a widow from the countryside of western China, who wishes to become a coppersmith in the big city on the Yangtze River, Chungking (now spelled Chongqing). With the help of many people, including an old scholar and a white missionary, his goal is eventually attained. Perhaps because of its colonial overtones, this book has fallen out of favor on recommendation lists.
Plot summary
As the book opens, the widowed Fu Be-be arrives on Chair-makers Way in Chungking, China, with her 13-year-old son Yuin-fah and a letter from a village friend to Tang Yu-shu, a master coppersmith, asking that Young Fu be given an apprenticeship in Tang's establishment. Because the widow is alone and Young Fu is her only son, he is allowed to complete his apprenticeship while living in a small rented room with her, rather than living in the shop, a plot device which allows us to see more of the city than might otherwise be the case.
In the chapters that follow, Young Fu goes from being a young and somewhat arrogant boy of 13 to a more capable and humble youth of 18. Along the way, he has encounters with soldiers, foreigners, thieves, political activists, an old scholar, the poor of the city, the rich of the city, and government officials. He is alternately swindled, attacked by bandits, reviled and praised as his coppersmith skills grow.
Main characters
- Young Fu is the main protagonist.
- Fu Be-Be is Young Fu's widowed mother.
- Tang Yu-shu is a master coppersmith — one of Young Fu's mentors.
- Wang Scholar is a poor but educated old man — another of Young Fu's mentors.
- Lu and Old Tsu are the principal journeymen in Tang's shop.
- Small Li is an apprentice in Tang's shop and Young Fu's good friend.
- Small Den is another apprentice in Tang's shop and Young Fu's main antagonist.
Structure and theme
The book is highly episodic, almost like a series of short stories. Like many novels for children, it is a Bildungsroman — the episodes are like stepping stones in the development of the main character.
Author's point of view
In terms of plot, the story is told through the eyes of Young Fu. However, in terms of the overall conception, the story is told from a Western point of view, which should be no surprise, as the author is a Westerner who herself lived in China and knows the country from first-hand experience. One can see the author's point of view in that the featured Westerner characters tend to be sympathetic, whereas unsympathetic Western characters or influences are merely mentioned or alluded to. However, Westerners are depicted only sporadically in the book, and by the middle of the book they have all evacuated the city, having flown to the gunboats on the Yangtze to avoid the general chaos of the warring Tuchuns.
The main character has a rather Western taste for progress and invention.
| Awards | ||
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| Preceded by Waterless Mountain |
Newbery Medal recipient 1933 |
Succeeded by Invincible Louisa |
