History of Modern Chinese Literature

Author: Ren Fangqiu
Publisher: Henan University Press
Synopsis:
Throughout the history of human civilization, few civilizations can compare in brilliance, longevity, and continuity with that of the Chinese nation. Isolated in its geographical and cultural environment, the Chinese civilization developed its own unique identity and once enjoyed a glorious past, producing astonishing cultural and literary achievements. However, in modern times, especially with the relentless invasions by Western imperialism and the large-scale influx of Western learning, the unified Chinese nation and culture faced severe challenges and impacts. This not only threatened the survival of the nation but also posed a critical question for Chinese culture and literature: how to confront and embrace these inevitable challenges and shocks, and how to reorient oneself and choose one’s path amid them. After decades of arduous and winding exploration and rapid transformation over several generations, by the May Fourth period, Chinese culture and literature finally entered a new phase. If we regard the evolution of Chinese literature over the past century as an ongoing, contradictory, difficult, and tortuous modernization process driven by openness, then undeniably, this process originated in modern times.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Part I
General Overview
Chapter 1: Pioneers of Modern Literature — Gong Zizhen
Section 1: Life 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 Empirical School Writers
Section 1: Historical Background and Literary Views of the Empirical School Writers
Section 2: Wei Yuan
Section 3: Wang Tao
Chapter 3: The爱国Poetic Wave during the Opium War
Section 1: Formation of the 爱国Poetic Wave
Section 2: Social Content Reflected by the 爱国Poetic Wave
Section 3: Unprecedented Flourishing of Satirical Poetry
Section 4: Artistic Achievements and Influence of the 爱国Poetic Wave
Chapter 4: The Revival and Return 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: Zeng’s Disciples and the Return of the Tongcheng School
Chapter 5: The Song Poetry School and Other Poetic Schools
Section 1: Reasons for the Rise of the Song Poetry Movement
Section 2: Poetic Theory of the Song Poetry School
Section 3: Poetic Creation of the Song Poetry School
Section 4: Jin He and His Poetic Creation
Section 5: Jiang Chunlin and 《Shuiyunlou Ci》
Chapter 6: Novel Creation from the 1840s to the 1880s
Section 1: 《Tangkou Zhi》
Section 2: 《Erni Yinhun Zhuan》
Section 3: 《Sanxia Wuyi》
Section 4: Xieye Novels
Chapter 7: 《Yigai》 and Other Literary Theories
Section 1: Liu Xizai and 《Yigai》
Section 2: Lin Changyi and 《Sheyinglou Shihua》
Section 3: Literary Views of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom
Part II
General 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 “Literary Reform” Theory
Section 3: Liang Qichao’s Literary Creation
Section 4: Liang Qichao’s Major Contributions to Modern Chinese Cultural Causes
Chapter 3: Huang Zunxian
Section 1: Life and Thought Conclusion
Part III
Conclusion
Postscript