| Since modern times, people with high ideals have always been seriously pondering on western culture, traditional culture and modern culture. Modern writers, such as Lu Xun, Lao She and Zhang Ai-ling carried forward these good traditions and deepened their understanding for them in novels. With the aid of these three artistic cases, this thesis is expected to show a transformative process and its characteristics of culture introspective novels. These three persons manifest their different understanding for modernization in different historical linguistic context. In the 1920s, Lu Xun had investigated the relations between modernization and western culture and also the relations between modernization and traditional culture, painfully pointing out that being westernized, modernization had completely refused traditional culture in China's tragic and difficult process. Such lopsided but profound theory manifested his deep understanding for the evil nature of traditional culture, his strong accusation for the dark and cannibalistic society and also his enthusiastic call for great rejuvenation of China. In the 1930s, Lao She's understanding for modernization is the heritage and development of traditional culture's elite and core. He criticized western culture. However, he praised traditional culture for her long and changeable experience of thoughts and interior active factors, such as strong cohesion of the Chinese nation, self-esteem and self-confidence of the Chinese nation. In the 1940s, Zhang Ai-ling criticized and refused both western and traditional culture. In her texts, western culture was not a synonym of science and democracy any longer, neither was the symbol and embodiment of advance and civilization.Contrarily, it became the code and name of reaction and degeneration. Her novels criticized the oppression of money and material worship on people's mind, displaying such a modern theme as people's alienation. They hinted to us that western civilization's modern diseases must be overcome before the realization of modernization. As to the attitudes toward nation, from the view of elite, Lu Xun asserted that the ignorant masses, mediocre persons and on-lookers were spokespersons of traditional culture and they were also the enemies of modernization. Kong Yi-ji was a victim of the imperial examination system. Instead of holding doubts and resistance for it, he was proud of pedantic terms which ever did great harm to him. He did not wear a jacket, but a long robe. From Xia San-yie, Uncle Kang and A-yi's attitudes toward Xia Yu, their counterrevolutionary nature could be clearly seen. Lu Xun devoted all his life to criticizing and showing the reactionary and counterrevolutionary side of lower class people. He did not dedicate himself to the manifestation of humanism and common people's consciousness. In the view of "poor people", they became the objects of admiration and respect under Lao She's pen. Throwing away the outer covering of poverty and ignorance on local areas, his pen touched their good perspectives-endless life force, indomitable subsistent will, industrious, kind nature and Sisyphus unyielding rebellious spirit. When land was occupied by enemies, people like Rui-xuan, revealed his noble integrity, high indignity and unyielding resistance. Those like Zi-jun, who are too weak to bear any blows and die soon can not be placed on a par with people like Rui-Xuan. Description of Xiangzi's experience of struggle and humiliation does not emphasize his misfortune and vicissitudes, but praises his individual willing power and firm "Shan (Goodness)" spirit when in face of misfortune and vicissitudes. There is less sympathy with him, and the humanism and common people's consciousness do not give their prominence. Zhang Ai-ling, from plebeian views, attached common people's consciousness and humanism to coward and wretched ordinary persons. She refused Lu Xun's quintessential attitudes and Lao She's folk advantages. Gloomy family trifles, unknown embarrassing obedience and un...
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