On Cultural Criticism Spirit In Xiao Hong's Novels

Based on the interpretation of Xiao Hong抯 life experience and her 1iterar~ creations, this paper exploits Xiao抯 inheriting the tradition of the May 4 Movement and Lun Xun抯 揻ace-the- reality?spirit, and also her reflection on the cultural factors of Chinese people抯 miserable living condition and their pathological state. Then this paper re-arranges all the factors and classifies them. The standpoint for cultural criticism of Xiao Hong抯 novels is the reflection on people抯 life value. Xiao, who entered the literary circle in 1930抯, was influenced by the fresh cultural trend of thought of May 4~ and was marked with salient modem ideology. Most of her novels can be categorized into the literary trend of 搑ebuilding the national soul? She focused on good and humble 搉obodies? concerning about their unhuman lives, unfortunate fates, and cursing the evil power which trampled them. What抯 more, she paid more attention to their living pattern and life value. This kind of reflection, first of all, is demonstrated by her concentration on the miserable living situation of those who were laborious but numb. Her novels tell the audience that it was the impoverished culture that directed human tragedies one after another. The savage living environment and the economic pattern of small-scale farming by individual owners made people shortsighted and ignorant, thus they only cared for the outside materials rather than life itself They paid much attention to land and tamed animals, but little to their own lives. What is more serious is that these people, who were poor and good by nature were subject to the feudal traditions and conventional force to form a fixed behavior pattern and life philosophy because of their scarcity of the consciousness of 搒elf? They would fonn a 搉ameless and unconscious killing association?and press and even murder those who were wholesome.Compared with the former senseless people, the sober who had acquired their consciousness of 搒elf?began to doubt the surroundings, attempt to escape from the indifferent life track and pursue the new life. But the deep-rooted traditional culture and feudal ethnics dragged them back. Their efforts ended as failures, leaving us varied tragedies. Besides the mentioned factors, Xiao Hong抯 novels demonstrate the shining points and valuable parts of Chinese nation when the cultural reflection is conducted. She created some images of national 揵ackbones?to show the direction of old China抯 rebirth and development. That抯 why her novels depressing but never despairing. This paper finally states the significance of the cultural criticism of Xiao Hong抯 novels. Her novels inherited the spirit of May 4th Movement and surpassed it to some degree, breaking through the literary pattern of 30抯 and 40抯 war literature and enriching the literary creation of Chinese contemporary female writers. The critical spirit of Xiao抯 novels still inspires us in many aspects today.