Chinese Heart Image: A Study of the Cultural Mindset of Writers at the End of the 20th Century

Author: He Zhongming
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-05-01
Features: It should be said that the overall ideological stance of young writers and scholars in denying the material spirit of reality is consistent, but the cultural resources and positions they exhibit are diverse. For example, Zhang Chengzhi stands on the stance of folk religion, denying reality with both folk and religious identities (which has both similarities and differences with Bei Cun, who also holds a religious stance); Zhang Wei, Jia Pingwa, and others uphold the cultural stance of rural China, critiquing reality with rural culture (which also has both similarities and differences with Chen Zhongshi's stance that blends both rural and Confucian orthodox thought); while Wang Xiaoming, Han Shaogong, Shi Tiesheng, and others represent cultural stances with their own characteristics. These two starkly opposing stances reflect the different cultural psychology and value orientations of the writers, each with its own biases but also its own significance. However, the and urgency in both sides' attitudes have lost the opportunity for in-depth discussion. The debates between the two sides are filled with attacks, lacking in academic rigor and calmness, and the writers often only display a stance without presenting their reasons or deep reflections. For example, discussions on "humanistic spirit" and "anti-nobility" are not deep or systematic enough. They merely reflect the significant divergence and clear opposition in the cultural stances of writers in the literary scene of the 1990s, showing the division and transformation in their hearts caused by cultural pluralism. In terms of specific literary creation, the writers also show a similar trend of differentiation and decline. On one hand, many writers are still pursuing their exploration and development paths, but on the other hand, many writers are being submerged and consumed by the cultural trends of the times. The influence of material culture is gradually making many young writers abandon their independent spirit, becoming appendages to commercial culture (typical of the so-called "beautiful writers" who emerged in the late 1990s), while their past connections make it difficult for many middle-aged and elderly writers to face reality with clarity and reason, and their towards reality is driving their nostalgia (typical of Wang Meng, whose "Season" series novels reflect self-criticism and attract attention, and Zhang Xianliang, who created works like "Spirit and Flesh" and "Green Tree" but published "My Bodhi Tree" in the 1990s with a completely different style). Former writers who gained attention for their exploration of form have also undergone notable changes. Avant-garde and root-seeking writers have suffered a complete retreat, either shifting their focus from extreme formal exploration to simple and realistic descriptions of daily life, or withdrawing from literary creation. It can be said that the emergence of various styles and the evolution of the styles of different writer groups reflect the huge impact of 1990s culture and present a pluralistic landscape—regarding the development environment of literature, this free landscape is undoubtedly the best. However, it should also be noted that in the above creations, is a common flaw. Being tied to reality and material culture, they cannot truly return to themselves or to literature, which is the most common and most fundamental internal wound of 1990s literature. Therefore, to sum up, in terms of the creative spirit of writers and the specific direction of literary creation, the 1990s represent a retreat and irony against the 1980s. The overall ideological stance of writers is moving towards non-modernity, with independence and freedom becoming increasingly faint, while the characteristics of subjugation and commercialization become more prominent, and the influence of literature on society is declining day by day. This is a tragedy of the times, a tragedy of literature, and also a tragedy of Chinese writers at the end of the 20th century. The demands of the times on literature and writers are urgent and severe. The complete secularization of society and culture, with the withdrawal of spirit and morality from its former market, is clearly unfavorable to the normal and smooth development of society and the construction of new-era culture. The frenzy of chasing money, the rise in crime rates, and the lack of moral sense among the public are all preliminary manifestations of the real consequences of this cultural situation. The development of literature itself is no different. As an ancient nation with a glorious literary history, how to revitalize its national literature and create truly outstanding literary works is an undeniable historical burden for Chinese writers. Under the current circumstances, how to resist the erosion of material culture, maintain the spiritual value and position of literature, and develop and promote literature with a truly modern cultural spirit is a formidable challenge for contemporary Chinese writers. In this context, amidst the commercial cultural carnival of the 1990s and the complexity and decline in literary development, writers and scholars, as representatives of social knowledge, should bear more responsibility for the times and contribute more effort to the construction and development of Chinese culture and literature. This is a mission they cannot avoid or choose. At the same time, we also believe they can fulfill this mission. After all, they have achieved their own glory in breaking free from political constraints in the 1980s and have made their contributions to the development of Chinese literature in the past two decades. They have painfully experienced the suffering of losing freedom and have also tasted the happiness of freedom, and freedom is not that far from them. In the face of rapidly developing society and the accelerating pace of globalization, in an era of increasing materialism and shrinking spirituality, we expect the re-emergence of Chinese writers and look forward to them participating in the modernization process of Chinese culture with an independent and free cultural mindset, creating an outstanding literary world that reflects the spirit of the times and the nation, and saving the nation's hope, constructing an immortal spiritual and cultural homeland for the real society.
Chapter 2: The Optimism of the Sage and the Rambling of the Benevolent—A Discussion on the Later Life Mentality of Yang Jiang and Sun Li
The concepts of "" (the Sage) and "" (the Benevolent) are both rich in traditional Chinese cultural connotations. "()，；()，；()，。" (The Sage delights in water, the Benevolent in mountains; the Sage is active, the Benevolent still; the Sage rejoices, the Benevolent lives long.) (Analects, Chapter Yongye). Just as the traditional Chinese cultural representative Confucius made a skillful distinction between them, these two concepts are closely linked yet distinctly different, representing different life philosophies and values, as well as different modes of thought and behavior. Throughout Chinese history, different types of personalities have appeared in each era, some excelling in "," others renowned for "," performing their life dramas in various social environments and creating a vast and rich history of life. The various stories passed down in Chinese history, some clever and others loyal, are the true reflections of these two ways of life. These two ways of life naturally enter the context of contemporary social life. The common people in contemporary society also choose their life paths and follow their survival principles in diverse ways, ranging from "" to "" (of course, there are also their opposites) or other methods, wandering through complex and ambiguous life environments. The diversity of survival methods reflects the breadth of human nature, culture, and the natural world, and by examining these various survival methods, we can gain insight into the many unresolved aspects of life and observe the depth and mystery of the human world. The life and creative circumstances of contemporary writers Yang Jiang and Sun Li typify the modern forms of these two traditional survival methods. Both Sun Li and Yang Jiang are veteran writers who experienced the turbulent changes of modern Chinese history and were active in the 1980s and 1990s. During the long years of literary creation before the 1980s, due to their different family backgrounds, life paths, and cultural contexts, they had completely different literary creations and artistic styles—Sun Li's songs of beauty and goodness, Yang Jiang's plays full of wisdom, were entirely different worlds. The similar life experiences they underwent during the ten years of the "Cultural Revolution" made their differences in creation even more prominent. After the arduous political baptism of the political movements in the 1950s and 1960s, Yang Jiang, in her creative works of the 1980s and 1990s, always maintained her previous optimism and wit, observing the past with a wise and generous gaze, and looking at the past and present with a cold smile. In contrast, Sun Li's portrayal was completely different. He basically abandoned the novel creation he once loved and considered his life, and in the few novels and prose works he created, he completely changed his former literary style, no longer praising beauty as before, but more lamenting the brevity and vanity of life, expressing strong dissatisfaction and somewhat extreme criticism of the past and present, showing deep loneliness and disappointment. The famous British writer Evelyn Waugh once said in a letter, "To those who think deeply, the world is a comedy; to those who feel deeply, the world is a tragedy." The differences in their creative works are the product of their different attitudes towards life and different personalities, reflecting their different choices in survival methods—more precisely, they are typical examples of the different life styles and attitudes of the "" and "."