On The May-4th Diary Fiction

"Atypical fiction", as opposed to traditional "typical fiction", is a literary genre that emphasizes on subjective expression of emotions rather than plot development; as in style, it asserts itself with vagueness and amalgamation/integration. As the outcome of maturation and fission of literary genre, it reveals the joint function of literature development and social, cultural evolution. Viewing from the inner context of literature, the revolution of the notion of "fiction" acts as preliminary force that brings forth its new genre and norm, which are further shaped with the input and influence of western fiction. At the same time, it also rests on the individuation-focus and sensibility-orientation of May-fourth literature. Concerning the external social-cultural context, the outcome of the May-4th Movement, including individualism, refreshed aesthetic notion, the principle of splitting and variating on an unconscious level, and etc., renovate people's idea of value and way of thinking, which are demonstrated by the breakthrough and innovation of authors' consciousness of self and the world. In this way, Atypical fiction, in its totally-new genre form and inner significance, has managed to serve as a historic force in the turning point of fiction transformation of Chinese literature history.The May-4th diary novel, as a typical form of Atypical fiction, fully exemplifies the general picture of Atypical fiction, and establish its place with rather mature form features and distinct discourse features. Its narrative way in general displays an present examination of self and its inner world. With "marginal hero" as its narrative subject, the May-4th diary fiction provides us anti-rational and anti-conventional point of view; with subjects' inner conflicts as its framework, it flashes the "language of soul in a moment of being"; with "the experimental progressing tense" as its narrative time, it maximize a revivification of the reality; with "introspective self and self-monologue" as its focus, it gives particular prominence to the examination of hidden soul. At the same time, the May-4th diary fiction integrates privacy of diary and the public of fiction and construct unique discourse form. It reconstructs the relationship between individual and society, which is specifically illustrated by the dialogue between "self " and "the world": self's view of the world is a social representation of individual, and the world's view of self is the individual representation of the social group. Therefore, itaccomplishes a narration of social discourse on universality and publicity, in its depiction of subjective and secret individual emotions.