On Aesthetic Realm And Modern Awareness Of Shen Cong-Wen's Literary Creation

This thesis aims to interpret Shen cong-wen's aesthetic notion and awareness in his works from the perspective of aesthetic realm in ancient critical theories. It argues that Shen's aesthetic realm entails a series of dichotomies: poetic flavor vs. sadly sympathy, myth vs. reality, wild revelry vs. abstract reason, and dynamic vs. static, which are both interwoven paradoxically. His aesthetic realm not only speaks of the wholly flowing enormous inspiration and harmonious intimacy in traditional aesthetic realm but also conveys the modern awareness in the context of modern culture. His modem awareness lies in the fact that he tries to describe the primitiveness in remote western Hunan Province to resist against "alienation", "materialization" and "colonization" which are all created from modern politics and economy. On the other hand, his modern awareness escapes from the contemporary period, returns to his rural primitive spirit and project it onto future models of life in order to survive the life itself harmoniously. In contrast to the traditional aesthetic realm, Shen's focuses on more terminal concerns and realistic misery, showing the probability and diversity in the transition of modern aesthetic realm. Compared his modern aesthetic awareness with those various literary Zeitgeist in Chinese history of literature, Shen's adds up national localism and independent character, which is implicitly harmonious but not caters to the aesthetic ideology in modern western literary Zeitgeists, and is bound to pave a way for the establishment of modern aesthetic Zeitgeist in the new period which is suitable for Chinese people's genuine situation and psychological experiences.