Ingratiation, Deviation And Reflection: A Study On Mei Niang’s Works In The 1950s

Mei Niang was a famous authoress both in "Manchuguo" and the Japan occupied areas in north China, while her fame disappeared between 1945 and 1979. Unexpectly, Mei Niang published numerous fictions and essays on YiBao,Shanghai’s Xinmin Evening and HongKong’s Ta Kung Pao in 1950s,forming an obscure peak of her writing. Previous studies focused on Mei Niang’s writing in early and later years, while works of 1950s is still being collected and sorted, there is no relevant research. As the middle part and the transition period of Mei Niang’s whole creation, those works are not only an important basis for her transformation, but also materials for supplementing "Mei Niang panorama". Moreover, comparing to the writers in China’s liberated areas, studies on writers in 1950s from Japan occupied areas are insufficient. Thus, it is necessary to investigate Mei Niang’s response to the mainstream, the interaction between Mei Niang and three newspapers, as well as the association between Mei Niang and editors in 1950s.This paper consists of three chapters, chapter one discussed why Mei Niang’s works can be published on YiBao and Shanghai’s Xinmin Evening for several years. It includes three factors:newspaper editor’s help, the editorial policies of newspaper and Mei Niang’s own efforts. This chapter also focused on the history of the newspaper, Mei Niang’s works in Xinmin Evening was analysed, showing her positive ingratiation and delicate deviation. Chapter two studied on Mei Niang’s modification of her works in the 1950s. Firstly, why Mei Niang’s works can be published on Ta Kung Pao was discussed, secondly, works in Ta Kung Pao was compared with works in Xinmin Evening, presenting their differences, thirdly, the causes of different versions was discussed by focusing on newspapers’running environment. This chapter also combed the history of Ta Kung Pao and centered on Mei Niang’s eassys in 1950s,showing her strategies of modification, which is sensitive and flexible. Chapter three is about MeiNiang’s reflection on the social and family events in 1950s, she expressed thinking by writing. By focusing on the overlap between her memories in later years and her works in 1950s,to find out content,reasons and the way Mei Niang think. Through three chapters above, presenting Mei Niang’s ingratiation, deviation and reflection in 1950s, which also indicating her complexity and contradictoriness.This paper was based on Mei Niang’s works in 1950s, included her works in the early and later years, history and content of three newspaper in 1950s. Study methods contains close reading, historical records collection, combing, analysis and comparison. It intend to investigate the relationship between Mei Niang’s work and the mainstream,as well as what kind of sound she made in New China, presenting Mei Niang,a writer who once lived and wrote in Japan occupied areas, had what kind of experience after 1950s.Thus, showing a complex background writers’ fate after the liberation. At the same time, Mei Niang’s experiences and works in 1950s influenced her later writing and speaking, which had great significance to her entire writing career.