A Comparative Study of Zhao Shuli and Sun Li

Author: Zhao Jianguo
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-08-01
Features: Zhao Shuli and Sun Li are two of the most important writers in China's liberation zone literature, each having made significant contributions to the development of Chinese literature through their respective creative practices. It is precisely because of the extremely strong local color in their creative practices that some people have called them masters of folk painting. Case studies of these two "folk paintings" have already achieved many results. Both are tall, both have once disappointed their father, both have attempted suicide, and both have worked as editors and journalists, discovering and nurturing literary talents. However, these are merely superficial and external similarities. At the core of these "similarities" lies a profound "difference" arising from their distinct personalities and talents: one safeguards revolution as if protecting a religion, while the other maintains a distance from revolution; one has strong life skills, while the other is somewhat weaker; one is humorous and witty, while the other is less articulate, and so on. Through this transition from "similarity" to "difference," the author guides the audience to the "painting." Further, the author moves from people to literature, extending the comparative analysis to their creative practices, presenting the contrasting styles of the two "folk paintings" before us. For instance, in terms of genre, one is a storytelling novel, while the other is a poetic novel; in terms of subject matter, one primarily depicts middle-aged and elderly farmers, while the other focuses more on young women; in terms of style, one leans toward realism, while the other tends toward romanticism. Then, the author deviates into a separate chapter, elevating the analysis further, comparing the abstract literary concepts of the two and delving into their creative systems and guiding principles, thereby deepening the comparison. Through this step-by-step comparative analysis, the two vivid and dynamic folk paintings are presented in a multi-dimensional and three-dimensional manner before us.
[Preface] Preface: Zhao Shuli and Sun Li stand as two towering peaks in China's liberation zone literature, each holding a unique style and significant influence in modern and contemporary literature. In terms of art, they represent two very different flags. To compare these two writers is both an interesting and meaningful endeavor. When one mentions comparison, some might assume it is to determine who is superior. In reality, "the purpose of comparative study is to elucidate the laws of literary creation, not to rank them in." (Letter to Luo Zongqiang on October 5, 1981). Here, I would like to quote this passage from Sun Li, one of the subjects of this comparative study, as an important guiding principle. Throughout this book, there may be comparisons of many aspects of these two writers, which may highlight who excels in certain areas and who has made certain shortcomings. My intention is to summarize experiences and lessons, and to elucidate the laws of literary creation. In fact, both Zhao Shuli and Sun Li have their own distinct characteristics and unique strengths in their creative practices, making it difficult to determine who is superior. During the writing of this book, I have a feeling: regarding Sun Li, there is relatively abundant material, one of the main reasons being that the writer himself provided us with a wealth of resources, including biographical sketches, essays recounting his life experiences, letters covering all topics, and other miscellaneous notes, etc. As Guo Zhigang and Zhang Wujie, the authors of "Sun Li's Biography," said in the preface, "In a certain sense, the writer wrote his own biography." Regarding Zhao Shuli, however, there is relatively less material, although his five-volume complete works have now been published, letters and diaries that reflect his inner world are hard to find. He also wrote few essays recounting his life experiences. Of course, Sun Li wrote a large number of reflective articles in the more than two decades after Zhao Shuli's death, which is an objective reason. Some chapters in this book may be more detailed, while others may be more concise, often due to the availability of materials. Let us together enter the lives and creative worlds of Zhao Shuli and Sun Li.