Impact Beyond

Degradation and the Melancholy of the Countryside were masterpieces respectively in recent and modern literary history of China and Japan. Yu Dafu's Degradation was based on his experience and feeling. His writing style was obviously influenced by Japanese Watakushi novels. In Degradation, we can see the shadow of Sato Haruo's the Melancholy of the Countryside. Nevertheless, the melancholy in Yu Dafu's Degradation resulted from his concern about the weakness of his motherland and his aspiration for the developing of his country. Yet, the melancholy in Sato Haruo's the Melancholy of the Countryside was lack of self-reflection about social problems and concern about nation's situation, but was about the author's personal bored feeling about life. Just on this point, Degradation broke through the artistic conception of the Melancholy of the Countryside and achieved sublimation of the topic. Sato Haruo's the Melancholy of the Countryside which was initially named Sick Rosebush was indited in 1917. The Melancholy of the Countryside was a Watakushi novel full of poetics. The novel was about a writer (Sato Haruo's self-image) who left the noisy city and lived in the countryside with his wife. During a short period he lived in the country, the writer felt comfortable with the nature. Later, he felt mopish and pessimistic in the boring and trivial life. The author looked on himself as a rosebush in the deserted garden. He intoned" Rosebush, you are sick!" over and over. Degradation was indited in May, 1921 when Yu Dafu studied in Japan. The novel was about an oversea student (Yu Dafu's self-image) who was discriminated against in Japan. He felt lonely, complained to the society and expressed his love to his motherland——"China! Why can't you strengthen yourself? I can't stand any longer". Both of the two novels had the emotional appeal of melancholy, decadence and pessimism; had the strong subjective lyric character; had self-Narration color and the similar structure. They were both influenced by the thoughts of 19 century in western world and of nation's culture. In general, Yu Dafu used the writing methods of talking about daily life and of self-realization as reference. Both novels were torturing frame of mind. The dramatis personae in both novels suffered hypochondria. Though Yu Dafu was deeply influenced by Sato Haruo in writing, Degradation itself was far from imitation, and had its unique personality and meaning. Due to the difference in social reality in which the two writers lived, nation's cultural tradition and concept of creation, there were essential differences between the two novels in thoughts and subject matter. The Melancholy of the Countryside was about the sense of loneliness, uncertainty and nihility of retirement literators. Such melancholy that came into being in the peaceful environment rooted in human nature of loneliness. It had nothing to do with the nations and citizens. What Degradation expressed were the pang as a result of failing to release young Chinese intellectuals' personality and patriotism. The melancholy in Degradation rooted in the weakness of motherland. In terms of the nation, the two novels were different in nature.