Family

novel by Ba Jin

Also known as: “Jia”

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

June 26, 2026

Quick Summary

Family is a 1933 novel by Chinese writer Ba Jin. It is the first volume of his autobiographical trilogy, Torrent.1

The novel is known for its critique of the traditional Chinese family system. Ba Jin, an anarchist, used his writing to attack societal norms and explore social concerns. Family achieved widespread popularity in the 1930s and 1940s, contributing to a literary climate that influenced intellectual acceptance of the communist revolution in China.1

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

2 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

Ba Jin
…was the novel Jia (1933; Family). It was the first volume of the autobiographical trilogy Jiliu (“Torrent”), which was completed in 1940 with the publication of the second and third volumes, Chun (“Spring”) and Qiu (“Autumn”). In the 1940s his writing became more pessimistic and less radical, and there was…
Read More
…was the novel Jia (1933; Family). It was the first volume of the autobiographical trilogy Jiliu (“Torrent”), which was completed in 1940 with the publication of the second and third volumes, Chun (“Spring”) and Qiu (“Autumn”). In the 1940s his writing became more pessimistic and less radical, and there was…
Read More

Chinese literature
1927–37
…his autobiographical novel Jia (1931; The Family), which traces the lives and varied fortunes of the three sons of a wealthy, powerful family. The book is a revealing portrait of China’s oppressive patriarchal society as well as of the awakening of China’s youth to the urgent need for social revolution.
Read More
…his autobiographical novel Jia (1931; The Family), which traces the lives and varied fortunes of the three sons of a wealthy, powerful family. The book is a revealing portrait of China’s oppressive patriarchal society as well as of the awakening of China’s youth to the urgent need for social revolution.
Read More