Equivocal Search For Origin

Jiangnan is an area with a very distinct nature, not only is it distinct in that it has preserved those more traditional aspects of its culture, which have accumulated slowly over the centuries, but Jiangnan culture is also special in that it is much more open to the influences of outside cultures. Over the course of the development of Chinese literature this distinct nature has allowed Jiangnan culture to contribute greatly to this development, and has allowed it to stand at the fore of many Chinese literary movements. During the 1980's, when eastern and western culture were in a state of flux and amalgamation, and when the "Searching for Roots" ideological movement was on the upswing, Jiangnan's contribution to "Searching for Roots" literature was especially important. However, the relationship between the "Searching for Roots" movement in Jiangnan literature and the "Searching for Roots" movement as a whole is rather ambiguous and disassociated. This thesis attempts to delve into the ambiguity of the "Searching for Roots" movement in Jiangnan culture and the "Searching for Roots" movement as a whole, as well as discuss the reasons for this ambiguity, focusing particularly on three questions: why does one "Search for Roots", searching for what "Roots", and how does one "Search for Roots".The "Searching for Roots" literary movement is an unequivocal, purposeful literary movement. Seeking for the development of traditional ethnic cultural identity, as well as supporting the opening up to outside cultures are guiding principles of "Searching for Roots" literature. In Jiangnan "Searching for Roots" literature however the ideals of "Searching for one's roots" are somewhat less important and are instead replaced by a more pure ideal of "Searching." While Jiangnan authors do search for the traditional ethnic culture, they at the same time also convey a certain uneasiness about standing between traditional and modern culture, moreover, within specific works of literature they do not stress the importance of opening up to outside cultures, instead they embody a more unconscious ideal of searching which contributed greatly to the rather ambiguous relationship between Jiangnan "Searching for Roots" literature and the "Searching for Roots" literary movement as a whole. When this weakened form of "Searching for Roots" consciousness was used to create specific works of literature it caused the "Roots" in Jiangnan "Searching for Roots" literature to become much more indefinite and also gave a longer lasting appeal. Because the plots of Jiangnan "Searching for Roots" literature focuses more on the internal conflicts and thus present a more prose like style of plot development, because they also use a more poetic and also more regionally specific language, the narrative style of Jiangnan "Searching for Roots" literature stands out from "Searching for Roots" literature as a whole. Thus the ambiguous tincture of Jiangnan "Searching for Roots" literature, as well as the disassociated relationship between Jiangnan's "Searching for Roots" literature and that of the "Searching for Roots" movement as a whole are explainable.