"The Beat Generation" And Contemporary Chinese Literature

This dissertation tries to figure out in outline the historical process of the translation and reception of American literature after the founding of New China in 1949, and probe into how contemporary Chinese literature has dealt with the translation and criticism of the Beat literature. On this basis, by applying the approaches of both influence analysis and parallel analysis, the dissertation analyzes the relationship between the Beat literature and contemporary Chinese literature.This dissertation is composed of seven parts.The Preface defines the several distinctive phases and the characteristics of the translation of American literature after the founding of New China. The relationship between the translation of American literature and contemporary Chinese culture and literature is also deliberated in this part. This dissertation points out that the choice of translation targets, the criticism and reception of translated texts are all conditioned by the political, cultural and literary milieus of contemporary China. Before the 1980's, the translation and introduction of American literature were politically motivated and carefully planned. For this reason, great importance was attached to the translation of American proletarian literature. American modern literature and avant-garde literature were ignored. Meanwhile, the interpretation and criticism of translated American literature were solely carried out by means of socio-historical methods and class analysis. In the 1980s, translation of American literature was prospering. The standard of choice of translation targets also underwent changes. Literary artistry and creativity were put before everything else in choosing which texts to translate. Meanwhile, those literary works which reflect the conflicts between human beings and society were also among the list of first choice. As a definite manifestation of this shift, lots of works by American cultural outsiders were translated and published.The first chapter gives a narrow definition of the Beat Generation, and limits the scope of examination to the three important Beat writers, Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg and William Burroughs. This chapter also examines its hereditary and avant-garde features of the Beat Generation from various aspects. The rising and development of the Beat Generation and its literature is also studied in detail in this chapter.The second chapter explores the historical process of the translation, introduction and criticism of the Beat Generation and its literature. From the 1960s to the 1970s, the Beat Generation and its literature were sharply criticized as a sample of the corruption and decadence of the capitalist society. From the end of the 1970 to the middle part of the 1980s, socio-historical approaches were adopted to criticize and analyze the Beat literature,focusing on its pragmatic function of reflecting and revealing the reality of American society. The artistic features of the Beat literature were totally denied. The translation of the Beat literature was nothing but a complement to the study of American literary history and criticism. Ever since the mid-80s, the Beat literature was comprehensively approached from different perspectives, historically, literarily, socially and culturally. And the translation of the Beat literature has already obtained its independent status as a kind of literary form. Many important Beat works have been translated into Chinese and published during this period.Chapter Three examines the relationship between the Beat literature and contemporary Chinese literature. During the period of the pre-Cultural Revolution and the Cultural Revolution, in the course of reading the translated works of the Beat writers, the participants of underground literary saloons and the members of the literary groups of the "Educated Youth" identified themselves with the Beat Generation. The sentiments and rebelliousness manifested in the Beat works thus arouse a strong consonance of feelings in them. They in turn expressed their strong feelings in their literary creation. But the literary differences between the two are just obvious, which is carefully examined in this chapter. In the mid-80s, the so-called Post-Ambiguity poets, who ran away from the doctrine of the Ambiguity poets, have adopted an anti-cultural and anti-heroic stance. They cultivated an individualized literary style which rejects loftiness and heroism In addition, their poetic language, rhythm and form share many similarities with the Beat works. An inherent spiritual connection can be found between the two.There exists a very clear thematic plot in the Beat works, especially in Kerouac's fiction, that is, alienation-pursuit-disillusionment. Interwoven in this plot are themes of rebellion, sex and religion. Similar themes are also found in cotemporary Chinese fiction, and this offers us a starting point of thematic analysis of the Beat literature and contemporary Chinese fiction. In this light, Chapter Four makes a comparative studies of themes of the Beat literature and contemporary Chinese literature from five aspects, that is, that of alienation, of rebelliousness, of sex, of pursuit, and of religion, intending to reveal some of the thematic similarities and differences between the two different literary forms.Chapter Five closely studies the two groups of characters found in contemporary Chinese fiction, that is, the so-called "Lost Generation" and the decentralized. The first group of characters felt lost when confronted with the drastic social changes. Without the support of idealism and profound self-contemplation, they felt helpless and incapable as well. They deal with their rootlessness and helplessness by adopting an appreciative and self-harming strategy. They were the first "Beats" in contemporary Chinese literature and we give them the ready-made title, the "Lost Generation". The second group of characters are the decentralized and they can be further divided into two subgroups. One is thehooligans, the other is the roamers. The former is a group of social rebels who have lost themselves, do not have a clear life goal besides seeking materialistic satisfaction. They assemble the American Beats outwardly, but in essence, they are miles apart. The latter is represented by characters in Gao Xingjian and Ma Jian's works. They take to the road and try to establish a unique experience of life and pursue a spiritual elevation by wandering around. They resemble the American Beats in spirit. By revealing the similarities and differences between the Beat Generation and the two groups of characters in contemporary Chinese fiction, we can have a better understanding of the Beat literature and contemporary Chinese literature.The Afterword briefly introduces the present situation of the Beats studies. It also summarizes the legacy that the Beat Generation has left behind, including its illusory impact upon the writers of the so-called "Chinese Beat Generation" at the end of the 20th century.