"Subject Generation" And Its Modernity Imagination

Contemporary "Bildungsroman narrative" correspondents to and reflectsthe modernization process of Chinese society and Chinese. It will help us tounderstand contemporary literature well if we combine both modernity and"Bildungsroman narrative" theories as investigation perspective and researchmethods.This dissertation is divided into five parts:The introduction part defines "Bildungsroman narrative" and the researchscope of this dissertation. It describes various relationships betweenmodernity concept and "Bildungsroman narrative" subject generationimagination, operational mechanism of subject generation imagination,development of contemporary "Bildungsroman narrative". It also illustratesresearch objectives, ideas,methods and style of writing.Chapter one summaries the interactive relationship between varioustypes of "Bildungsroman narrative" and their historical and cultural context. Itanalyzes the subject expansion of "Bildungsroman narrative" in differenthistorical periods from the theme perspective. Contemporary "Bildungsromannarrative" is divided into four types: ideal conversion type, reflection onalienation type, yield to reality type, and perplexed and decadent type.Every type has its own theme, characters and the plot conventions. Based onHayden White’s theory, this dissertation states that although the underlyingcommon structure of the narrative mode will not be changed by discoursepower, but in the specific historic period, an author is often affected by thepopular concept discourse of modernity so that the dominant ideology willinfiltrate into his or her literary narrative. And this leads to differentnarrative patterns appear intensively in different period. Ideal conversion type of "Bildungsroman narrative" was popular from the founding of newChina to the end of the1970’s, it shows that people continue to overcome theindividual selfish departmentalism so that all turn to collectiveness andacceptance of traditional mainstream culture. It is especially recognized andrecruited by revolutionary politics ideology, imagination of subjectgeneration is generally affected by the modern concept of nation; Reflectionon alienation type of "Bildungsroman narrative" shows that due to people’feeling of all the hurt and distress, they have suspicion and criticism oftraditional mainstream culture. They show combined trend of thoughtliberation for traditional mainstream culture. Reflection of the subjectgeneration imagination this age is often influenced by enlightenmentmodernity concept since its creation in1976. This kind of work was onceprosperous and it continues to the present; Yield to reality type of"Bildungsroman narrative" shows the aversion of people to ideal and belief aswell as noble things and adaptation to the rule in the material world. It issuitable for the expression of a part of popular people’s cultural appeal of themarket economy society. Subject regeneration imagination is usuallyinfluenced by secular concept of modernity, post-modernism, such workswere seen more in the1990’s. Perplexed and decadent type of"Bildungsroman narrative" shows that people do not see the future in thesocial reality of alienation and they turn into their culture mind of lost lifeand mental state. It is suitable for the presentation of contemporary peoplefor the negative social dissatisfaction with the status quo but they cannotfind a solution. Subject generation imagination is affected by aestheticmodernity, post-modernism though and there were much works since1990’s.Chapter2investigates the mental state of bildungsroman subject.Grown-ups’ spirit is often imprinted with times, history and language context,so that it reflects the development of subject’s degree of modernization andmodern concept. Frequently appeared ideal conversion type of grown-ups from the founding of new China to around1980is often described as beingenduring person failure in their early growth. They will finally find their owndestiny with the common successfulness of collective cause. Grown-ups’feelings and desires as well as ideals and beliefs is purified and sublimated bytheir devoted traditional mainstream culture—subject generation marker isoften imagined as obtaining the correct view of leading social discourse;Reflection on alienation type of grown-ups have been imagined as to enduresocial life misery, alienated inter-personal relationship, highly emotionalfrustration. Therefore they begin to be suspicious of leading social discourse,and they have continuous conflict with the mainstream culture—subjectgeneration marker is often understood as to obtain subject’s awakening andliberation as well as reflection and confrontation to the mainstream discourse;Yield to reality type of grown-ups is generally envisioned to follow therealistic survival principle in the ideological level. They recognize therationality of the existence of social negativity. Emotion and desire is mainlymaterial, and they have a sophisticated nihilistic attitude to the social life--subject generation marker is often envisioned to selectively be subversiveand adaptive to the reality; Perplexed and decadent type of grown-ups isoften depicted actively or passively to be in the opposite to the traditionalmainstream culture, and they are damaged by "life enlightenment" that is asymbol of traditional mainstream culture----the logo of subject generationmarker is imagined to be suspicious, rebellious and paradox to the traditionalvalues. However they couldn’t find an effective confrontation method, theycan only fall into perplexed and decadent.Chapter three mainly analyzes the deep logic in different periods of four" Bildungsroman narrative" variants, namely logic thought and narrativeconstruction on "subject generation" under influence of modern discourseconcept of contemporary growth novel. This article summaries them as thefollowing: the ideal type of narrative mode: free edge-to get trapped resistance-ideal conversion and obtain identity; reflection on alienationtype of narrative mode: edge survival and persecution-reflection-maturepersonality; yield to reality type of narrative mode often: ideal frustrated inthe brink-yield adaptation-split personality; perplexed and decadent typeof narrative mode: free of foreign-unable to integrate into the decadent--lost-burning in a timely manner. The narrative plot mode and the theme ofsubject generation as well as is the same as the modernity of mentalsymptoms keep changing due to the updating dominant discourse ofmodernity. With the investigation of the evolvement of " Bildungsromannarrative" subject generation, this dissertation verifies the pursuit ofmodernization by contemporary Chinese and their continuous changes ofmodernity concept. It also investigates the use of the modernity discourse onthe infiltration of "Bildungsroman narrative" so that it shows the deepmechanism of specific types that is popular in a specific era.Conclusion part starts with the limitation of Bildungsroman concept ofmodernity reality. By combining the paradox theory of modernity, it evaluates"Bildungsroman narrative". This paper points out that the differences andconversion of subject generation mode under the influence of differentmodernity concept results from gradually deep change of the understandingof leading discourse of modernity. This paper emphasizes that due to itsinfluence by linear social theory of history evolution and teleology, modernityconcept of nationality and state as well as tool and rationality concept, idealconversion type of "Bildungsroman narrative" displays the social collectivestandard subject generation in the interactive process of people andtraditional mainstream culture. The individual spirit is submerged andcoerced. Reflection on alienation type of "Bildungsroman narrative" inheritsthe thought resources of enlightenment modernity t to reflect social extremethoughts on individual human’s alienation and distortion, it is often subject tothe influence of historical evolution theory and teleology as well as tool and rationality concept. Due to the influence of the secular life of modernity,aesthetic modernity and modernity concept with post-modern deconstructioncolor, yield to reality type and perplexed and decadent type of"Bildungsroman narrative" show people’s true own subject constructiveexploration for pursuit of the material pursuit, decadence and lost andcontaining the contemplation of human nature.