A Study On Traditional Culture Connotation In Chi Zijian's Novels

Chi Zijian is a writer owing unique artistic personality in contemporary literary arena. This thesis goes into comprehensive analysis of her novels from the angle of culture, proposing that her novels are marked with strong traditional culture: She eulogized the harmony and beauty of Chinese traditional civilization with her poetic style of writing. Meanwhile, she also expressed her questioning and criticizing of modern civilization.The traditional culture connotation in Chi Zijian's novels lie in the following 4 aspects. First, the reverence toward nature and emphasis on the harmonious relationship between man and nature, these show her cultural spirit that "Man and Nature are united". Second, the development of society and civilization is unbalanced. Faced with the unbalance, Chi Zijian sets her foot steadfastly on the backward way to tradition, searching the garden for the soul in the traditional agricultural civilization. Chi Zijian has the profound emotional attachment to the traditional agricultural civilization, which can be seen from her characters' attachment to the land and their aspiration for the "goodness" born in human beings. Third, being attached to the traditional agricultural civilization, the cultural psychology in Chi Zijian's novels has revealed the ways by which some intellectuals searched their own identities. The complex of missing country and home and the anxious consciousness embodied in the protagonist make her closer to the psychology of traditional intellectuals. Fourth, the humanitarianism, wisdom, and pursuit of loyalty are manifestations of the ideal personality of Confucianism. Meanwhile, the main characters' aspiration after nature of human beings, their transcendent attitude toward death and their attitude toward life that is happiness and contentment are tinged with the ideal personality of Taoism.The regressive tradition in Chi Zijian's novels and the forward carrying of the traditional culture, on one hand, help people to overcome the shortcomings and evils brought about by modem civilization. On the other hand, however, modernization has become an inevitable process in the course of history from the viewpoint of the social development. Therefore, Chi Zijian's pursuit can not find ways to fulfill, the regressive tradition in her psychology unavoidably tend to conservatism tendency.