Bottom Images In "Literature Of Populace"at The Turn Of The Century

"Literature of populace" is of great importance in the Chinese literary world at the turn of the century. Since the middle and late1990’s, the "bottom" has become the hot issue Chinese intellectuals are concerned about as a number of social problems spread out. A diversity of writers of different ages has created the literary works about the bottom while, with the emergence of this creation, a large group of intellectuals start reflecting on and discussing about "literature of populace" such as Caixiang, Wang Xiaoming, Nanfan, Chen Xiaoming, Meng Fanhua and Hong Zhigang. In the thesis, the bottom figures are profiled so as to posit their images in contemporary literary contexts, which will be helpful to accurately grasp the Chinese literature at the turn of the century. The following five sections are covered:In the section of introduction, the reasons why the phenomenon of "literature of populace" emerges at the turn of the century are provided as well as its characteristics and weaknesses. Being poor, humble and confused in general, such bottom figures as migrant workers, workers, rural teachers, and prostitutes are described uniquely, and a variety of bottom images are also profiled in terms of various narrative positions.In chapter one, the images of migrant workers in the literature of populace are profiled on the ground of their embodiment relative to the urban and the rural. In the literature, migrant workers are depicted from the perspective of their responding to the prejudices and bullies in different ways. Thus, three types of images emerge:’keeping closed-lip","suffering injuries in the mind", and "rebelling". Back grounding those who keep closed-lip, the social problems are revealed through the sharp criticism; with the presentation of those who suffer injuries in the mind, their mental aberration is conveyed as well as the disastrous consequences brought about due to the accumulation of trauma in their hearts; for those who rebel, their human nature is portrayed in a very complex and further way. Generally, in this category of literary works, there exists a wide spread of rural escape-reunification-re-flee of the migrant workers, who have become homeless wanderers. It is because of the homeless that they can merely wander between the urban and rural areas. In brief, their images contribute to one of the important populace in the Chinese literature of the turn of the century. They are rich for the interpretation and unique in the literary history.In chapter two, the images of the workers in the literature of populace are, generally speaking, profiled from the three perspectives:economic difficulties, lower social status, and a crisis of faith. In the great era, the workers have to experience great changes, and accordingly, great pain and trauma have been brought about due to the social transformation. On the basis of these general characteristics, three types of images are presented in detail:being "self-sacrifice","self content", and "against the trend of the times". Through such images the writers themselves provide us their different stances when facing the changes of the era. In a word, the images of the workers are richest politically in the literature of populace.In chapter three, the images of the rural teachers in the literature of populace are profiled in two dimensions:the "bottom" and the "intellectuals". Through the presentation of these images, the writers provide us their own observation and reflection of the rural and social issues. Besides, the emotions of the intellectuals are revealed, seeing that they feel a crisis involved in their role of enlightenment. Difficulties related to the enlightenment discourse in the new era are also revealed. In this sense, the images of the rural teachers are uniquely deep and solemn in the literature of populace.In chapter four, the images of prostitutes in the literature of populace are categorized into three types:the innocent victims, the lost, and the voluntary. Although being externally bodily stained,"the innocent victims" are thought to be "virgin" with pure souls and unstained virtues. Accordingly, the problems of the society are criticized."The lost" are those ordinary females who lost their roads in the life of hurricanes. So, the injuries in the souls of these unknown little women are discovered in this time full of lures."The voluntary" is called "wandering women", a group of females with a new concept of body ethics. The relation between the new concept and their "bottom" status is claimed to reflect the economic, cultural and social issues unique to the turn of the century.