A Study On The Spreading And Acceptance Of Zhou Zuoren

This dissertation, through observations and analyses on the spreading and acceptance of ZhouZuoren by readers of different times, categories and styles of the new literature since May4thMovement,sorts out and classifies the general cases and both the personal and social causes for such actions of theirsvia modern media, summarizes the general characters and the inner law of these actions, and providesreferences for us to interpret Zhou’s literature in a correct way, as well as offers conducive inspirations topromoting the writing practice of contemporary literature and the framing of literary theory.This dissertation, excluding the preface and the concluding remarks, is composed of seven chapters.The preface mainly deals with the practical and theoretical meanings of the spreading and acceptanceof Zhou, the status quo and the trend related to this research both at home and abroad, and the objectives,the key points and difficult points, the logic and procedures to follow, as well as the methodology of thisstudy.Chapter One is a brief account of the spreading and acceptance of Zhou since May4thMovement,giving an overall description of the general track of it, in which its beginning, two climaxes and the bottomhave been witnessed respectively by the20’s,30’s to90’s and50’s to70’s of the20thcentury.Chapter Two entitled as “Enemies in Ideology but Brothers in Humanity” sorts out, classifies andanalyses Lu Xun’s spreading and acceptance of Zhou Zuoren. Although roughly the same livingenvironment and same experiences in living and learning made the two brothers possess roughly similarintellectual structures and values, differences in family status and ideological characters rendered them tomake different judgments on, hence hold different attitudes towards many social phenomena of that time.In his life-long literary career, Lu Xun took as his chief mission the criticism, studying and remolding ofthe deep-rooted bad habits of his nationals of that time and made obviously historical achievements whilein his prose creation and its theory, Zhou Zuoren broke with some thoughts, criteria, forms, styles and craftsand set up some new ones, making remarkable contributions in this area and receiving positive commentsfrom his brother Lu Xun.Chapter Three is chiefly an account and analysis of Fei Ming’s spreading and acceptance of Zhou Zuoren. Fei Ming’s close ties with Zhou in both living and learning from the20’s to the early30’s of the20thcentury laid a solid foundation for his actions, which is first analyzed in the surface layer like hispractical life, words and deeds and activities, and then excavated in the deep layer. Though he sought tobring forth new ideas in his literary creation in his own scope in ways different from Zhou, his actions ofspreading and accepting Zhou manifested “the likeness in differences” between the two.Chapter Four “Sheng Congwen, An Important Scholar in Spreading and Accepting Zhou Zuoren” isabout Sheng’s actions in this connection. It is appropriate for the author of this dissertation to hold theabove point of view. By employing lots of facts, this chapter sorts out Sheng’s actions in three aspects: thefirst part is from the surface layer such as Sheng’s words and deeds and his way to treat others; the secondpart id from Sheng’s novels, prose and poems; the third part is from the “likeness in differences” betweenSheng and Zhou, which is such actions done at the deep layer.Chapter Five “The Opposites are of Unity, and Supplement and Complement to Each Other” mainlyprobes into Hu She’s spreading and acceptance of Zhou Zuoren, consisting of5parts:1stpart recounts thesame values in liberalism and other occasions made the friendship of this two bosom friends last from May4thliterary revolution to the early years of the War of Resistance Against Japan;2ndis about the twoscholars’ collision and final integration in their ideology and trend of thought;3rdis about their differentunderstanding and pursuit in literary language and their contributions to the new literature;4this about theirsuccessive joint efforts in literary creation methodology and the positioning of the readers;5this Hu’sapproval of Zhou’s achievements in his literary creation when Hu was in his remaining years.Chapter Six is about other readers’ spreading and acceptance of Zhou from various angles anddifferent respects, chiefly Sheng Qiwu, Zhang Zhongxing, Sima Changfeng and Su Xuelin. Of the fourreaders, Sheng Qiwu is merely contented with and confined to the surface layer of spreading and acceptingZhou by providing special cases, experience and lessons for the history of spreading and accepting Zhouand the history of the new literature. As a faithful “reader” and a contemporary successor of the literaryschool of Beijing, Zhang Zhongxing has an accurate mastery and profound understanding of both Zhou theperson and his works and has not only carried on but developed the work of spreading and accepting Zhou.However, it was Su Xuelin who first found and also gave full approval of Zhou’s contributions to literaturewhile Sima Changfeng was the reader who reported to have learned something from Zhou’s literary theories.Chapter Seven “Some Relevant Issues” is an account and analysis of the historical background, theinfluence of personal quality of each “reader” and modern media------newspapers and periodicals on thespreading and acceptance of Zhou, and some forms in these actions.The concluding part summarizes the developing track, characteristics and content of the studies inspreading and accepting Zhou, and looks into its future in an optimistic way.