Beyond Modernization:Recognizing The Image Of Harbin In The1920s And1930S

With the image of Harbin in the twenties and thirties of the20th century as research object,the thesis compares the image of Harbin portrayed by the newspapers, fashion pictorials andfilms at that time with the one presented in the works of famous writers Feng Zhi, Qu Qiubai,Zhu Ziqing, Xiao Jun and Xiao Hong. Through the study of differences, the thesis aims toanalyze the reasons that result in the differences, cast doubt on the constructing ways ofmainstream media and the ideologies hidden behind them, and consequently make a reflectionon the image of “Oriental Moscow” and “Little Paris” shaped by today’s mainstream media.The whole thesis is divided into three chapters.There are two sections in the first chapter. The first section introduces the “modern”appearance of Harbin, namely the exotic architecture. Taking the “Central Avenue” as anexample, the Renaissance architecture, the architectural style of “Art Nouveau”, the architecturalstyle of “eclecticism”, the baroque architectural style, the classical style of architecture, etc,would show the “internationalization” of buildings in Harbin at that time. In addition, the thesisalso expounds the modern lifestyle of people. Western restaurants, movie theaters, racetrack,ballrooms can be seen everywhere, among which the two cultural elements western food andmovie, can best illustrate the fashionable and modern life of people who are living there. Theimage of modernization and internationalization mentioned above is undoubtedly shown in thecity appearance. The second section presents how the modern media constructs the modern wayof life. The rampant advertising can be regarded as the most important and effective way inconstructing the modern way of life. The movie, magazines, or the billboards along the streetsare all propagandizing the style of life characterized by international metropolis. The exoticmodern facilities and the colorful advertising billboard, therefore, would echo with each other,making the city extremely prosperous.The second chapter consists of three parts. The first part shows the image of Harbindescribed by some writers who are living in the1920s and have traveled to the Northern area ofChina, such as Feng Zhi, Qu Qiubai. With regard to the city’s overall evaluation, Feng Zhi hassaid that Harbin is neither Eastern nor Western, which happens to coincide with Zhu Ziqing’s“lopsided development”. Although Qu Qiubai didn’t make similar comments, he had shownreaders a shabby and forgotten area----Daowai area, a real place where northerners are living, which had formed a sharp contrast with the modern facilities and lifestyle mentioned in the firstchapter. The second part expresses the deep concerns about the deserted spiritual world ofmodern people. In his poem, Feng Zhi supposes that modern people would go to their doom ifthings go on like this, because people who do not pay attention to the training of their spiritualworld but merely pursue the affluent material one would behave much more indifferently, andcan do anything for their own sake without kinship and affection. Like the walking dead, suchpeople would be doomed to perish. Therefore, the third part points out the way of salvation forthe modern people, namely the rebirth after destruction. Only when people cultivate an abundantspiritual world and resume the spiritual faith can the society and its people regain vigor andvitality.The third chapter explores the living conditions of those disadvantaged in Daowai areabased on the whole environment, the life of intellectuals and laborers at the bottom of the society.The chapter still falls into three parts. The first part introduces the living environment of thosedisadvantaged in the society, which has been involved in the works of Zhi Yuan and Xiao Jun.The second part begins to shift the focus to the fate of intellectuals. Although possessing activemind and thought, the intellectuals often rely on the writing to vent their own discontent in theface of the dilemma whether “voicing out” or “keeping silence”. As a result, we can sometimessense the trace and presence of authors in their works, which tends to be realistic and authentic.As writing is the only one means of livelihood, they always lead a poor life. The third partelaborates on the situation of laborers living at the foot of the social ladder. Confronting with thehardships and suffering, they would either make a revolutionary cry or struggle to resist, whichconsequently would not evoke any substantial changes in their life. Totally speaking, theyalways work on the most backbreaking jobs, however, what they have obtained are the leastamount of pay, the food of the poorest quality and the most humid and dark house.