Dual Embarrassment In Politics And Literature

Modern literary innovation introduced by Liang Qichao was a great milestone of history in Chinese literature, and it was the crucial bridge connecting traditional literature and modern one. Researched from the stimulating conditions of the movement, it was the consequence of the shock between western political system and cultural system; researched from the background, it was the effect of national crisis and political pressure, also was the combination of political innovation and literary innovation under the conditions of anti-tradition. Confronting with the western science, modern intellects weren't willing to be the captives of it; in the process of searching the ways to save the nation and the civilian, they confronted with the problems between the Chinese and the foreign, the new and the old, the individual and the society, the art and the profit, they had to make a hard and sorrow selection. Dilemma was a evident character of literary innovation introduced by Liang Qichao. Only knowing this, can we understand the relational essence of the political and literary innovation in this movement, and grasp the intellects'awkward living state in the period of social transition of that era. The dilemma of literary innovation included three aspects: the correlation between the promotion of literary innovation and the blunting of series of political activities; the theoretical contravention and practicing hardship in the course of practicing the innovation; Liang Qichao's helplessness facing the condition in political and literary development. These aspects mainly acted in three periods: 1. Liang Qichao's attempt in literary innovation had exposed the contraventions before the Reform Movement of 1898; 2. the political environment aggravated after the failure of the Reform Movement of 1898, and Liang Qichao promoted literary innovation into a new period. The dilemma in literary innovation that paid extravagant attention to political material gain acted in these: profit and art, tradition and innovation, sensibility and ration. After the failure of rebellion of the Independent Army, literary innovation was strengthened again, and the contravention between enlightening the public and inducing the public, destroying and establishing in innovation. Especially for novel, it had become the political sacrifice when it was honored as the highest grade of literature. The dilemma of this period also acted in Liang Qichao's creative practice, the theoretical contravention had limited the perfection of his works. 3. He still couldn't realize his political ideal by depending on literature, the literary summit didn't develop as Liang Qichao had anticipated, and he was so angry at the reality. Though Liang Qichao had withdrew from literary innovation after he had gone home from abroad. This kind of helplessness was the proof of dilemma in literary innovation. One failure of political action was always the beginning of another literary innovation for Liang Qichao. The dilemma in literary innovation was the reflection of complicated psychology of advanced intellects in the period of social transition. Liang Qichao's gain and loss in literary and cultural construction is of great reference meaning on how to guide contemporary cultural healthy development.