Master of the Escape Ink Pavilion: The Contradictory (Biography Series of Famous Figures in Zhejiang Culture)

Author: Yu Lianxiang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-04-01
Features: From 1987 to 1990, the author pursued a master's degree in Modern Chinese Literature at the Department of Chinese Language and Literature, Hangzhou University, conducting research on Mao Dun's novels under the guidance of his supervisor, Zhang Songnan, and writing multiple research papers. After graduation, the author engaged in teaching and research on Modern Chinese Literature, publishing over ten papers on Mao Dun studies. Grateful to the Editorial Committee of the "Biographies of Zhejiang Cultural Figures Series" for entrusting the author with the task of writing "A Biography of Mao Dun," allowing the author to systematically organize the great yet arduous life of this remarkable figure. The subject of the biography led a life full of twists and turns, yet achieved outstanding accomplishments. Faced with the rich and diverse content, the author aims to simplify and distill, outlining the developmental trajectory of the subject's life within approximately 200,000 words and discussing his outstanding contributions to the construction of the new Chinese culture. During the writing process, the author strives to maintain a "classical" and "pragmatic" approach, meticulously verifying some unresolved issues in the subject's life. Through comprehensive historical research, the author confirms that the subject voluntarily left the Communist Party, thereby refuting the "party betrayal" and "passive withdrawal" theories. By closely analyzing three texts that document Qin Dejun's accelerated cohabitation with Mao Dun, and referring to the recollections of Mao Dun's son, Wei Tao, and daughter-in-law, Chen Xiaoman, the author confirms Qin Dejun's "Salome complex." The author does not intend to idealize or denigrate Mao Dun but rather aims to portray a genuine and relatable subject through a "pragmatic" lens.