Abstract: In the 1940s, Ba Jin expressed much dissatisfaction with his limitation in anti-Japanese creation. The short story collection （Ordinary Men and Little Things） reflects his efforts to break through himself. Five novels underscored the desire to shape the national soul with love; in the noisy polyphonic narrative, both artistic ingenuity and confusion about self-identification can be seen; and the fusion of poetry and thought reflects the efforts to find a spiritual home with the objective realism. (Ordinary Men and Little Things) clearly shows Ba Jin’s creative trend in the 1940s, which is of great significance in his overall creation.

Key words: Ba Jin, Ordinary Men and Little Things, love, sounds of crowd, poetry and thought, spiritual home