The Ideological Transformation of 20th Century Chinese Literature

The 20th century was an era of tremendous changes for Chinese society, and these changes shaped the development of Chinese literature as revealed in The Ideological Transformation of 20th Century Chinese Literature. Rulers in the late-Qing dynasty era were subjected to unwilling reforms which saw the abolition of the “eight-legged” essays and the imperial examination as these had notoriously restricted the thinking of the Chinese literati. Shortly after the fall of the Qing, leaders of the New Culture Movement started to promote vernacular literature, stressed the need for a re-examination of the ancient classics, and championed the popularization of Western values. After that, Chinese literature was taken on a completely different trajectory, not only in stylistic terms but also in ideological ones. The Ideological Transformation of 20th Century Chinese Literature is the fruit of poet and critic Xie Mian’s decades-long study of contemporary Chinese literature during his earlier years as a professor at Peking University. Grouped thematically and in accordance with the periods in discussion, this collection of nearly 50 essays provides an integrated examination of the historical backdrop and ideologies that underpinned Chinese literature from the days of the New Culture Movement to the New Era beyond the Cultural Revolution through a mix of microscopic criticisms and macroscopic overviews. The book won the Chinese Association of Contemporary Literature Outstanding Achievement Award.