Research On School Leavers Novels In New Period

This dissertation studies novels on school leavers after Cultural Revolution was over. For convenience's sake, the writer calls these "new novels on school leavers".New novels on school leavers appeared simultaneously with opening up and reform in China. These novels are large in amount, time-consuming in composing, various in style, and rich in theme, which deserves a systematic study. This dissertation renders a comprehensive analysis and evaluation from vertical and horizontal angles.Vertically, based on the outcome and orientation of these novels, this dissertation studies some representative essays between 1978 and 2002. Setting developments in society since 1978 and in literature as background, the author tries to, on the one hand, give a macroscopic description of threads of thought and trends; on the other hand, the author keeps a keen eye on the constant-changing ideological trends in society and in literature and art, and also their impacts on new novels on school leavers. The study covers major works from Scar in 1978 to Emotional Age in 2002, written by writers from different regions, of different age, with different states of mind and conceptions. In this way, a clear evolving track of themes can be demonstrated here.Horizontally, examining such aspects as political reforms in China, social development, the environment in which the writers went to the countryside, the writers' ages, individual psychology and love for special things, creative conception, and impacts exerted by ideological trends in society and literature and art, the author sets eye on individual works or specific type of works, and explores and finally proves the causes for themes and expressions. For instance, from the angle of social development and political reform, this dissertation analyzes how the new novels in this fierce-changing era sprang up, and evolved with the times; focusing on the natural environment where the school leavers were sent into, this dissertation explores how the geographic feature and products influenced the writers' choices in material and conception, and therefore the theme; investigating the writers' ages, we can detect the differences in themes and attitudes towards life, of writers of "old three grade" and others; analyzing the state of mind, the dissertation shows how writers with persistent conception endeavored to dig the same subject, thus leading a deeper theme; last but not the least, to express fully the theme, thewriters experimented with different styles.Based on knowledge and understanding of these novels, the author put them into six categories, divided by periods, ideological trends in literature, political ideas, living environment, material selection, writers' conception and so on. This dissertation has seven chapters, the first six chapters analyzes works of similar orientation, hoping to reach an overall understanding of the new novels. Focusing on the relation between style and content, the last chapter studies the writers' pursuit for styles and innovation in art.Chapter One expounds mainly the novels written by writers who adopt a negative and critical attitude toward life in the countryside and the so-called "go to learn in hills and countryside" movement. The major works are Reunion, a short novel of Tiesheng, Gan, Naijian, Xu's Pollution of Yangbai, and Rui, Li's Black and White etc. They either describe the desperate life and choice of the school leavers in a pathetic tone, or the tragedy led by the shatters of their dreams in a rational tone.Chapter Two expounds mainly the novels written by writers who adopt a idealistic attitude toward life in the countryside. The representative works are "great northern wilderness series" by Xiaosheng, Liang, Time Idling Away and This Young Generation of Us by Xin, Ye, World and Color in Mountains by Xiaojian, and Tingting, Yan etc. These works either passionately eulogize working life as peasants, or fully approve the feeling of "no regret in youth" advocated by some then school leavers.Chapter Three discusses mainly about the countryside and peasants from the school leavers' point of view. The major works written mainly by Yi, Zheng, Xiaoping, Zhu, Rui, Li, show pity toward peasants. These novels meticulously describe the hardship in life of peasants in northern China. The sad tone of writers reveals profound sympathy to the tragic destiny of peasants who lived at the bottom of society. The works possess valuable quality of people through demonstrating the realistic tradition, symbolized by Yuan, Qu's remark of "grieving for the hardship of people", in literature history in China.Chapter Four discusses novels with a touch of enlightenment. The representative works include Looking West to Mao Cao Di by Shaogong, Han, Funeral Before Dawn by Zhaojun, Wang, and Good Men and Women by Xiaoping, Zhu and etc. Based on life experience and close observation, the author dissects characteristics and limitations of Chinese peasants through descriptions of the peasants' daily behaviors and interpersonal...