The Idealized Countryside And The Idealization Of Countryside

The paper highlights the close resemblance between Shen Congwen and Jia Pingwa in their prose works dubbed as localism. The author attempts to reveal their common artistic pursuits and to explore their contributions to the history of Chinese prose. Both writers, in a self-conscious quest of aesthetic values in literature, employ unique artistic methods in constructing for readers an idealized countryside. In their works, rustic land serves as the spiritual home of solitary city-dwellers. However, Shen is different from Jia in that in the former, local color is at odds with the urban culture, whereas the latter intends to break away from the control of mainstream ideology. In their dream countryside, they are going after the meaning in human life. Shen focuses more on the life force, while Jia revolves more around the harmony of life. In depicting the countryside, both of them diminish lyrical expressions. Instead, they use fresh and casual words in accordance with the idealized living background, with evident predilection for narration. They have found their desired goals, though different, in writing. Therefore, a typical literary model, suggestive of national hallmarks, has been established.