History of Modern Chinese Literature

Author: Ren Fangqiu
Publisher: Henan University Press
Book Description:
Throughout the history of human civilization, there are few cultures that can compare to the splendid and enduring history and culture of the Chinese nation. Isolated in its geographical and cultural environment, the Chinese civilization, which developed independently, once had an extremely glorious past and produced astonishing cultures and literatures. However, after entering the modern era, especially with the continuous invasion of Western imperialism and the massive influx of Western learning into China, the unified Chinese nation and culture faced severe challenges and impacts. This not only posed a serious question for the survival of the nation but also for its culture and literature, namely, how to confront and welcome these inevitable challenges and shocks, and to reestablish their orientation and choose their path amid these challenges. After generations of arduous and winding exploration and decades of prolonged and rapid reforms, by the May Fourth period, Chinese culture and literature finally saw a new turning point. If we regard the evolution of Chinese literature over the past century as an ongoing process of modernization characterized by openness, contradictions, difficulties, twists, and hardships, then undoubtedly, this process originated in the modern era.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Part One
Overview
Chapter 1: Pioneers of Modern Literature—Gong Zizhen
Section 1: Biography and Thought
Section 2: Poetry Creation
Section 3: Prose Creation
Section 4: Gong Zizhen’s Position and Influence in Literary History
Chapter 2: The Rise of the Practicality School Writers
Section 1: Historical Background and Literary Advocacy of the Practicality School Writers
Section 2: Wei Yuan
Section 3: Wang Tao
Chapter 3: The Patriot Poetic Trend During the Opium War
Section 1: Formation of the Patriot Poetic Trend
Section 2: Social Content Reflected in the Patriot Poetic Trend
Section 3: Unprecedented Flourishing of Satirical Poetry
Section 4: Artistic Achievements and Influence of the Patriot Poetic Trend
Chapter 4: The Revival and Re-emergence of the Tongcheng School
Section 1: Development and Crisis of the Tongcheng School Before and After the Opium War
Section 2: Zeng Guofan and the Revival of the Tongcheng School
Section 3: Disciples of Zeng and the Re-emergence of the Tongcheng School
Chapter 5: The Song Poetry School and Other Poetic Trends
Section 1: Reasons for the Rise of the Song Poetry Movement
Section 2: Poetry Theory of the Song Poetry School
Section 3: Poetry Creation of the Song Poetry School
Section 4: Jin He and His Poetry Creation
Section 5: Jiang Chunlin and his Shuiyunlou Ci
Chapter 6: Fiction Creation in the 1840s–1880s
Section 1: Dangkuzhi
Section 2: Eryou Yingxiong Zhuan
Section 3: Sanhua Wuyi
Section 4: Fiction of the Xieshai Genre
Chapter 7: Yigai and Other Literary Theories
Section 1: Liu Xizai and Yigai
Section 2: Lin Changyi and Sheyinglou Shihua
Section 3: Literary Advocacy of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom
Part Two
Overview
Chapter 1: Bourgeois Literary Reform Movement
Section 1: Historical Process of the Literary Reform Movement
Section 2: Goals and Content of the Literary Reform Movement
Section 3: Historical Significance of the Literary Reform Movement
Chapter 2: Liang Qichao
Section 1: Life, Thought, and Works of Liang Qichao
Section 2: Liang Qichao’s Theory of “Literary Reform”
Section 3: Literary Creation of Liang Qichao
Section 4: Liang Qichao’s Major Contributions to Modern Chinese Cultural Undertakings
Chapter 3: Huang Zunxian
Section 1: Life and Thought
Conclusion
Part Three
Epilogue
Postscript