A Research On Literary Factions In Chinese Modern Literary World

During Chinese modern history, it was an important phenomenon that certain individuals formed different associations, especially in the literary world. In a sense, some literary groups could be considered as literary factions, which played a crucial role in the history of Chinese modern literature. But for some reasons, this kind of literary phenomenon hadn’t been attached highly importance by academic circle for a long time. This article tries to pay more attention to literary factions, for it’s believed by the author that the literary factions in Chinese modern literary world could be a complicated issue. To some degree, many literary events would have special connection with literary factions. So, in order to examine the Chinese modern literary history, we must take this issue seriously. Thus, in this essay, the author clearly defines the literary faction and the factional competition. The so-called literary faction means informal organizations with common benefits and realistic function, which are formed by combining scholar individuals for particular factors. The factional competition is obviously a kind of group competing behavior. In modern literary world, the expansion of literary power, as well as the changes in existing power and benefits assignment structure and form were the aims of factional competition.Chen Yuan, who was never an essential scholar intellectual, had always been involved in factional competition dramatically. As a returned student who had received comprehensive western education, Chen had believed in liberal ideas and opinions during his whole life. In Peking University, Chen Yuan and some friends who shared common religions got together, forming an informal organization. They had some conflicts with another literary faction, in which Lu Xun was some kind of spiritual leader. At that time, several factors including the conflicts mentioned above deeply influenced the literary world. So, the author considers the literary faction and the factional competition as a hidden mechanism which could affect the historical process of modern literature. By analyzing certain literary factional competitions which were related to Chen Yuan, the essay may reveal some truth in Chinese modern literary history.