An Interpretation Of Mao Zedong's Original Contribution To Literary And Artistic Though

Not only does Mao Zedong’s Thought on Literature and Art constitute an integral part of the Marxist Theory of Literature and Art,but it is also a milestone in the Sinicization of Marxist Theory of Literature and Art.The Marxist Theory of Literature and Art is characterized by the dialectical unity of theory and practice.In the interaction between the Marxist Theory of Literature and Art,Chinese traditional culture and art and modern Chinese literature and art movement,Mao Zedong adhered to the line of literature and art for workers,farmers and soldiers,and the line for the people.He also put forward "popularization and elevation "and" letting a hundred flowers bloom and a hundred schools of thought contend",two policies which paved the way for China’s revolution and development in the fields of literature and art and laid theoretical foundations.This dissertation aims to study the core heritage of Mao Zedong’s thought on literature and art established in cultural revolution and construction and his position in the whole world’s literary and artistic landscape.Researchers from China and abroad focus on various dimensions of research when it comes to the study and interpretation of Mao Zedong’s thoughts on literature and art.There are mainly six schools in China:lines on literature and art(Hu Qiaomu),popularization and elevation(Zhou Yang and Mao dun),"letting a hundred flowers bloom and a hundred schools of thought contend"(Lu Dingyi,Bo Yibo and Chen Jin),combination of literary and artistic lines and policies(Zhou Enlai),power and rights(Dong Xuewen and Lu Guishan),and orientation to the countryside(Li Zehou and Li Shulei).Globally,emphasis is put on the transformation of intellectuals by Japanese scholar Takeuchi Minoru and his editorial team for Collected Writings of Mao Zedong and Supplements to Collected Writings of Mao Zedong and American scholar Fairbank and his editorial team for The Cambridge History of China,Schram and Leo Ou-fan Lee in particular.This dissertation revolves around Mao Zedong’s Policies on Literature and Art with the focus on "popularization and elevation" and "letting a hundred flowers bloom and a hundred schools of thought contend".As an integral part of Mao Zedong’s Thoughts,his thoughts on literature and art share the same positions,viewpoints and methodologies as the former.The author,therefore,adopts Marxist historical materialism and dialectical materialism as the world view and methodology and delve into Mao Zedong’s texts.The development of literature and art is the core of this study.Research methods include normative and empirical research,close reading and cultural comparative studies.Authoritative texts are primarily used in this study,supplemented by popular texts,documents published by Japanese and American research institutions,Russian declassified archives and so on.Early research on Mao Zedong,especially research on his educational background,perception of literature and art,aesthetical involvement and political belief,is instrumental in the understanding of Mao Zedong’s thoughts on literature and art.The time when Mao Zedong became a Marxist is controversial.According to Mao Zedong,he became a Marxist in "the summer of 1920" and "the year of 1920".The Collected Works of Mao Zedong(Volume 1)published by Party Literature Research Center,CPC Central Committee proposes that it was on "January 1st and 2nd,1921" that Mao Zedong became a Marxist.However,international scholars such as Short presume that the belief was established on "January 21,1921".The author,based on historical facts and existing texts,argued in this dissertation that Mao Zedong became a believer of Marxism on "December 1st 1920".Being part of movements joined by students,workers,farmers and soldiers,he further developed his political belief into special care for these groups and related literary and artistic works.Mao Zedong has dedicated himself to China’s revolution and construction.Under his leadership,the Chinese have completed the new democratic revolution and socialist revolution and made substantial progress in socialist construction.Within the framework of Mao Zedong’s Thoughts,New Democracy and socialism form China’s two historical stages,which are likened by Mao Zedong to two consecutive sections of a piece of writing.During the new democratic revolution,Mao Zedong was the first to raise "New Democracy" as the leading principle.He established in his Talks at the Yenan Forum on Literature and Art the policy on literature and art of "popularization and elevation”,which is based on class structure in theory and class analysis in methodology.In the course of socialist revolution and construction,Mao Zedong created the theory of "contradictions among the people" to guide the movement.In the field of literature and art,he developed the policy of "letting a hundred flowers bloom and a hundred schools of thought contend" in On the Correct Handling of Contradictions Among the People.The policy is based on dialectics both in theory and methodology.The two policies,"popularization and elevation" and "letting a hundred flowers bloom and a hundred schools of thought contend",are proposed in different historical stages.They bear a clear relationship,and both are effective.On the one hand,the two policies are similar in nature as they are both strategies and tactics to develop literature and art;on the other hand,the relationship between these two policies is characterized by continuous revolution instead of Trotskyist "permanent revolution" since Mao Zedong was a theorist of development stages,or a Marxist continuous revolution theorist,rather than a Trotsky "permanent revolution" theorist.In other words,they are different leading policies on literature and art born out of specific historical contexts.As for their effectiveness,in the construction and development of socialist literature and art,the policy of "letting a hundred flowers bloom and a hundred schools of thought contend" takes priority given China’s current cultural development.Meanwhile,the policy of "popularization and elevation" is still effective due to the low literacy of China’s laboring class,the divide and immaturity in the development of literature and art and the issue of intellectuals.Mao Zedong’s policies on literature and art carry massive implications on the development in Chinese literature and art.Firstly,the policies provide impetus for political publicity and organization.Secondly,they help to establish the benchmark for literature and art and contribute to social integration.Thirdly,they imply that new policymakers have to figure out the ways of facilitating the development of literature and art and adhere to the principle of independence and originality.Lastly,Chinese literature and art should be oriented towards real-life issues and based on the philosophy of seeking truth from facts and the mass line.The policies on literature and art mark two milestones in Sinicization of Marxist literary theory.Born out of Chinese practice in these fields,they guided Chinese people to find the new ways to develop Chinese literature and art.The policies symbolize two peaks in the history of Chinese theories on literature and art.It is in the course of revolution and construction of Chinese literature and art that Mao Zedong formulated the policies on literature and art.They have profound implications for the construction of contemporary Chinese Marxist literature and art theories and the 21st century Marxist literature and art theories as well as the development of Chinese literature and art.Specifically,construction and development should re-gain predominance in these endeavors,which means identifying the leading path of literature and art,laying theoretical foundations and finding solutions to problems arising in both theory and practice.