Research On Shen Cong Wen’ Identity As A Social Critic

This thesis studies Shen Congwen from a new perspective—— "criticism" by exploring Shen Congwen’s identity as a critic in the field of social criticism. The thesis has three chapters. Firstly, it reviews and analyzes Shen Congwen’s achievements as a social critic from three major parts: criticism on politics, criticism on urban civilization and national character and criticism on literature, aiming to show the wide scope of his criticism. Secondly, the thesis explores the course of Shen Congwen’s developing into a critic. An early stage of life experience contributes to nurturing his personality as a critic, while the identity as an elite intellectual in his later life promotes his criticism advance toward self-consciousness. Finally, the thesis situates Shen Congwen’s criticism in the context of Chinese modern social criticism to identify its features and position and concludes that Shen Congwen is a famous and influential critic.