1985: A Turning Point In Literary Criticism And Extension

Chinese contemporary literary criticism has gone through a very long history. The historicalbackground and actual circumstances in China makes it develop amid twists and turns. Chinesecontemporary literary criticism entered a new period of development in the1980s. During this period of time, the thinking mode, the concept, the paradigm, and the methods of literary criticismhave changed a lot, especially in1985. This article, different from traditional mode of writing papers, is mainly inspired by “1587, A Year of No Significance”, which masters the overall spirit ofthe the era by a character, an event, or a period of time. Based on the inspiration, this article attempts to grasp the literary spirit and the basic characteristics of the80’s, even the whole newperiod by analyzing the year1985as a scattering.First of all, the article discusses from the aspect of the internal and external forces of the criticism reform in the early1980s. The reform and turning of literary criticism in1985is an intensive burst of all kinds of social factors calculating from late1970s to early1980s. After the “Cultural Revolution”, China entered a new period, during which an ideological line of emancipating the mind, seeking truth from facts has been established. The unique social and cultural backgroundprovided a number of necessary theoretical resources for the reform and turning of literary criticism, and thus led to the appearance of plenty of new literary works. However, these “new works” brought about a reform in literary criticism, and posed tougher challenges to it.In addition, the article evaluates the contribution and shortcoming of the literary criticism in1985. Literary criticism has opened up a new era in1985, which is of great significance to the history of contemporary literary criticism. It’s not only because of the passion it takes on, but alsobecause of the great inward effect it has to the spirit, pattern and style of the criticism at that time. Apart from setting the position of the literary criticism in1985in history, a historic reassessment of the criticism from the present point of view is necessary. This reassessment must conclude itscontribution objectively and justly, and inspect its stubbornness and fallacy reasonably and soberly.Finally, the thesis is named1985: Turning and Extension of Literary Criticism.“Turning” means that1980s is the start point of the reform of literary criticism, while “extension” means that1980s continues the literary themes that has lasted a century. As a contemporary literature researcher, I look back to the passionate years of the1980s, examine the youth, the sentiment as well asthe littery life and write the trajectory and state of a movement.