A Research Into Chinese Contemporary Ecoliterature

Chinese contemporary ecoliterature has developed rapidly since it appeared in the middle of the 1980s. A large number of ecoliterature writers and works have arisen, meanwhile, the ecoliterary research has also achieved great successes. However, there are only a small amount of works which make a systematic and profound study on ecoliterature, so it is inconvenient for us to make use of them in theory. This has affected not only the entire study on Chinese contemporary ecoliterature, but also the creation of ecoliterature indirectly. In view of this situation, this paper, in the first place, will define the concept, scope and study method of ecoliterature, moreover, it will examine and research into Chinese contemporary ecoliterature systematically in the light of representative writers and works. This paper consists of the following four parts:The first part: The Introduction of Ecoliterature.In present academic circles, there are divergences of views on the concept and definition of ecoliterature, therefore, the first chapter of this paper will firstly analyze the source of ecoliterature's appearance. The reason for the appearance of ecoliterature is the people's voice in the face of a natural crisis, in fact, the root cause is human beings themselves. After that, it will define the concept of ecoliterature, and explain the rise and significance of the ecoliterary research as well as the Chinese contemporary ecoliterary research.The second part: The Spiritual Resources of Chinese Contemporary Ecoliterature.The second chapter of this paper will analyze the spiritual resources of Chinese contemporary ecoliterature from four respects. Above all, it is the Chinese ancient ecological spirit, especially the ideology of nature-human integration, Taoist ideology as well as the ecological idea that is reflected from the Chinese ancient myth. The second respect is the ecological spirit in Chinese modern literature. The third point is the Western eco-ethic idea. This paper will select those philosophers and scholars on eco-ethic who are influential on Chinese contemporary ecoliterature, such as Albert Schweitzer, Aldo Leopold, Peter Singer, Tom Regan, Holms Royston, and the eco-femalist. Finally, this paper will expound the creation of western ecoliterature through H.D. Thoreau and Rachel Carson who have the greatest influence over Chinese contemporary ecoliterature.The third part: A Summary of Chinese Contemporary Ecoliterature.The third chapter of this paper will recall Chinese contemporary ecoliterature in its different stages as well as the survey of its development, meanwhile, it will point out several main types of Chinese contemporary ecoliterature, From its appearance to the present, Chinese contemporary ecoliterature can be divided into two phases: The early stage is the period from the mid 1980s to the mid 1990s. The works of this period always have the distinct environmental consciousness, strong feelings of self-examination, and the indistinct background of anthropocentrism. The second phase lasted from the mid 1990s to the present. During this period, the ecoliterature trend had been formed, the real natural writing had appeared, and the idea of non-anthropocentrism had been clearly defined.The fourth part: To Expound Chinese Contemporary Ecoliterature Chapter by Chapter.Although Chinese contemporary ecoliterature appeared a little later, it has achieved great development in less than thirty years, especially after the mid 1990s, many representative ecoliterature writers and works have arisen. From the fourth chapter to the eighth, this paper will make a classified exposition of Chinese contemporary ecoliterature writers and works.Categoryâ… : Eco-reportage. These works reflect the Chinese ecocrisis issue promptly from different quarters, meanwhile, they appeal to humans to heal nature. Representative writers are Sha Qing, Xu Gang, Wang Zhian, Li Qingsong, Zhe Fu, and Chen Guili. Categoryâ…¡: Natural beliefs. These works, which are filled with the obvious natural writing temperament, express the belief in nature. Wei An, Zhang Wei and Han Shaogong are typical representatives of this type. They neither devote themselves to exposing the natural ecocrisis nor propagate the idea of environmental protection, but seek the life meaning while considering the relationship between human beings and nature through blending themselves into nature. By writing in poetic prose, they bring us the strong and pure natural feelings. Categoryâ…¢: The tragedy of nature. These works, which are full of the strong misery consciousness, proclaim the tragedy of nature explicitly. Yuan Jian-a famous modern poet, A Lai-a famous writer, and Du Guanghui-a well-known novelist expose the ecocrisis distinctly in their works, however, they do not confine their ecocrisis investigation to this issue itself, but consider the relationship between the ecocrisis and civilization. Their works usually have mournful feelings. Categoryâ…£: The spokesman of nature. Writers, who became spokesmen of nature, say what nature want to say. These works are not superior in numbers, but distinctive among Chinese contemporary ecoliterature. Writers negate the anthropocentrism while their preliminary acceptance of the non-anthropocentrism in their works. This paper will analyze two writers- Chen Yingsong and Shen He. Categoryâ…¤: Nature and women. These writers pay a good deal of attention to women's status in the ecosystem as well as the relationship between nature and women. Under the influence of the idea of ecology femalism, works with the feature of ecology femalism have arisen in Chinese contemporary ecoliterature. The representatives are Cheng Yi, Ma Lan, Bi Shumin and Zhou Tao. Moreover, this paper will expound the ecoliterature works of Ma Lihua and Jiang Rong, whose works also have a distinct ecoliterary style.There are mainly two aspects of the academic value and creativity of this paper.In the first place, Chinese ecoliterature, which is not mature enough, have neither the professional arrangement nor the accumulation of the systematic material. Therefore, among these numerous but ambiguous works, how to select a batch of typical ecoliterature or quasi- ecoliterature, or some texts only with the important study value of ecoliterature? This must be meticulous and tough work. The author have paid lots of time and energy for this. In the second place, under the contradiction between anthropology and ecology, how to find a standard that- in one hand- can protect the principle of anthropology in literature as well as its requirements of historical depth and humanity intension, in the other hand, also protect a ecoliterature requirement, which regards the entire benefit of the ecosystem as the highest value? It is the difficult point to seek the method of the literary exposition under the both contradictory and harmonious relationship. In fact, it seems that we should comprehend it in this way: human beings are not exactly the heart or master of the world, but their all-round development under the harmonious relationship is the main idea of literature, including ecoliterature, in which humans are still the most active element. People is a member of the ecology, but the ecology is in people's eyes after all. This paper will be permeated with these idea and perspective.The ecology should be a more extensive philosophical subject, but not a rigid summary of nature. The global ecocrisis is becoming more and more serious nowadays, and as a result the ecology will become one of the major subjects of philosophy and social sciences. Undoubtedly, ecoliterature will be one of the anthropological literature's orientation, so it should be paid great attention to. Therefore, the research into ecoliterature is even more significant.