Problems And Solutions To Network-literature Studies Of China

The Network-literature studies of China, through a course very different from that of Western, have achieved a great success. As the size of the object of studies and the media's attention to it grow drastically, the studies of Network-literature in China also have shown steep progress, and given birth to lots of fruitful achievements. This paper starts from these very achievements, I will try to critically review them, point out some problems, and finally suggest some solutions to them.In Chapter 1, I argued that the main problems of Chinese Network-literature studies of today could be summarized as follows:1. The overwhelming influence of western theories2. The restraint of traditional(non-network) literary concepts3. The perspective and frame of study are unnecessarily limited to the concept of "work of art", therefore it fails to notice some meaningful literal activities outside of "work(of art)".In Chapter 2, I tried to criticize some (incorrect) claims and conclusions of Chinese Network-literature studies. Its problems concerning the one-sided relationship between Traditional and Network literature studies, abstractness and notionality, the so-called "freedom" of Network-literature, post-modernism, the restraint of traditional literary concepts are all called into question.Chapter 3 is mostly about two main concepts of this paper:"Vernacular Theory" and "Networkedness". Vernacular theory is the deep understanding and insight of (popular) culture, possessed by the very natives of that particular culture. This concept not only allows us to see that the vernacular has the intellectual power to resist the ideology of the ruling class, but also declares their intellectual activity can be qualified as "theory". My argument is that, the "user" of Network-literature has an unmatched knowledge and understanding of this cultural phenomenon, and also has an ability of creating and using their own version of "theory". They are not the simple victims of culture industry, but the "users" of that culture. What I mean by "Networkedness" is the particular meaning or quality which some lexia, or some people's activity acquires when they exist in network. This concept helps us to overcome the limitation of former literary studies caused by traditional concepts such as "work", "text" and "hypertext". It also helps us to understand the Network-literature as a mobile, fluid process, not as a result of it. The concept of "Networkedness" provides us a new perspective of looking at Network-literature, through which we can find out what is really happening in the literal space created by network and its users.And finally in Chapter 4, I used these two concepts as the tools of more specific and concrete analysis on Network-literature of China.First, I focused on the vernacular language of the Network-literature users, scrutinized its meaning as vernacular theory. I believe the literature of "shuang", claimed by some vernacular theorists as a kind of dialectic defensive logic, truly can be considered as a vernacular theory. It shows deep insight and understanding of how Network-literature actually works. Even though this vernacular theory of Network-literature practically cannot bring ultimate emancipation from the ideology of capitalism, but as an active reflection on and compromise with this ideology, it has huge cultural and literary meaning.Second, I tried to find out how the "Networkedness" of Network-literature is actualized in the actual network, from two different angles: "action" and "time". Specifically, my analyses are on some phenomena characteristic to (though not exclusively found in) the Network-literature, such as time-space travel fiction, fan activity, a phenomenon called "wakeng", spoiler and so on. My conclusion is, "time" of Network-literature can only be actualized through "action", and vice versa, they are two different aspects of "Networkedness"Chapter 5, Conclusion. Every practice in Network-literature is a part of becoming of the meaning, which is carried out through "action" and "time". We can say that Network-literature is what Deleuze calls an "event", as it only happens in the practice and action.