On Cultural Implications In Zhou Daxin’s Rural Novels

Zhou Daxin is remarkable for his creative attainments in Henan Writers’Group. His ruralnovels invariably accentuate on his beloved native place---the basin area in Southwest Henan,and through the portrayal of manifold local folks, through the depiction of local landscape,through the delineation of human associations in the local milieu, the novelist gains access to thecultural implications of this land. Still Zhou mediates on its cultural richness in a profoundhistorical context, explores its sources, and speculates on the likelihood of local-culture reform inthe materialistically-prosperous society. In this sense, Zhou’s novels can be regarded as themirror and lamp which well reflect the development of local culture in the new era. Based onZhou’s rural novels, riveting on cultural implications concerning the basin area in SouthwestHenan, and by means of close reading, the author of this thesis intends to further survey Zhou’srural novels from facets of clan culture, clout culture and mysterious culture, to review thenovelist’s literary expression of rural culture, to quest for meanings of local folks’existence, tosummarize gains and losses in Zhou’s orienting his composition on rural culture, and thereby toweigh the value and status of Zhou’s rural novels in the history of contemporary Chineseliterature.Chapter One, Clan Culture: the Foundation of the Earthbound China. Through tracing thesources of clan culture with a historical outlook, and then by vehicle of close reading,conclusions can be drawn that Zhou interprets the implications of clan culture in the rural worldfrom the three perspectives of the patriarch, clan members and clan revenge. From the fast ruleof the patriarch to the surveillance and rebellion of clan members, then to the circulation of clanrevenge, the complexity of the rural clan society is exposed thoroughly. Following theses clues,the author of this thesis, in the terminal part of this chapter, makes a point of contemplating onthe meaning of clan culture, and proposes the possibility of nurturing a new form of culture inthe countryside.Chapter Two, Clout Culture: the Human Bondage of the Chinese. This part focuses on cloutculture’s position, expression and significance in Zhou’s rural world. The author of this thesis maintains that Zhou reveals clout culture’s impact on the rural society from the three aspects ofthe potentate, those subdued by power and sway, plus those yearn for power, and demonstratesthat the enlightenment of thought in the rural society remains an arduous task, and thebuilding-up of a sound personality which becomes modern circumstances is a must.Chapter Three, Mysterious Culture: the Matrix of Grotesque Beauty. Zhou’s rural novelsbrim with ingredients of mysterious culture. For the sake of fathoming the significance ofmysterious culture in the rural world, the author of this thesis summarizes mysterious events,mysterious images, together with myth and legend, probes into their connotations, so as toconvey the cultural implications in the mysterious rural world.The deposition and richness of rural culture makes for the distinctive flavor of Zhou’s ruralnovels, and secures his literary reputation. Nevertheless, he does not stick to singing praises forrural culture, but gains insights into the necessity of cultural reform when the unwholesomeingredients of rural culture stand in the way of social progress. Meanwhile, it is worth of notethat Zhou’s clinging to the expression of rural culture, to some extent, hinders his literaryventure.