Tragic awareness

Author: Cheng Yalin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2001-04-01
Features: "Tragic Awareness." The author's perspective begins with the century-old anxieties since modern times. Early in the 20th century, insightful individuals pointed out that only by having more tragedies in the theater could society be blessed. However, China has never had tragedies; only "joyful dances and resounding music" in the form of "comedies," so the theater has been spreading misfortune to society, as stated, "That is why society has tragedies." From Wang Guowei, Hu Shi, Lu Xun to Zhu Guangqian, the Western tragic awareness took root in China but did not take root. Thus, the insightful individuals' prophecy came true: in the mid-20th century, immense social tragedies descended upon the land of China amidst the songs and dances of "Red East" and "model operas," exposing the ignorant and foolish ways of survival and the lack of self-awareness of hundreds of millions of Chinese people. The author's depth lies in revealing that this lifeless way of survival is rooted in China's traditional cultural psychology and artistic taste of "deception and lying," where the Chinese have long been able to disguise the most tragic situations as "harmonious and happy" or "full of reunion," avoiding listening to the cries of the jackdaw and refusing to face their own reality. It is precisely this "hedonistic" mentality that made most people try to feel at ease during the disasters of the Cultural Revolution and the "calamity," even helping the villains at every opportunity to achieve emotional ("simple class feelings") "unity between heaven and man." This seemingly innocent cultural psychology has driven many not only to become "robots" who obey orders but also to become cunning, treacherous, cruel, and greedy "malicious slaves," turning the scenes of "man-eating" and "mutual devouring" depicted by Lu Xun into reality. China's greatest tragedy is the lack of tragic awareness, or the lack of reflection on real tragedies. The author believes that whether it is social tragedy, character tragedy, or fate tragedy, reflecting on the real tragedy of the Cultural Revolution is an indispensable ideological task for us, and it is frightening to close our eyes and ignore or quickly forget this tragedy. The author proposes that exploring the issue of tragedy can "inspire people to discover the inherent sense of equality, freedom, and universal love in tragic awareness, uphold the authentic way of life of life, and cultivate sound personalities, attitudes, and healthy souls." I think that tragic awareness has these connotations because, fundamentally speaking, it is the awareness of the inherent contradiction of free will itself. This contradiction is the theme of all true tragedies, the internal structure that maintains the tension for individuals to bear pain, and the source of strength for the spiritual realm of human beings to overcome all external destinies and manifest their eternity.