Research On The Chinese Contemporary Avant-garde Novel Criticism

Specifically,the "avant-garde novel criticism" refers to the critical articles and monographs against the "avant-garde novels" for more than thirty years since the late 80 s.Researchers who engaged in avant-garde novel criticism are the criticism group with Wu Liang,Cheng Depei,Li Tuo,Li Jie as pioneers,Chen Xiaoming,Hong Zhigang,Meng Fanhua,Zhang Qinghua,Xie Youshun and Wu Yiqin et al.as the backbone.The avant-garde novel criticism has gone on the criticism stage by the transformation of literary age environment and the dissemination of western modern critical theory,and has gained the right and opportunity of discursive breakthrough.In the comprehension of avant-garde critics,there are different meanings for the concept of "avant-garde".The concept of "avant-garde" has varied with the accumulation of critical practices and time flows from "quick naming under the close scrutinize" and "the ontological identification of the stylistic narrative experiment" to " open and informal generalization definition".In addition,the early avant-garde novel criticism may linger about the micro literary and artistic discussions;while the later studies lay stress on the systematic exploration such as the literary-history significance and the implication of traditional factors.The critical characteristics of the avant-garde novel criticism are highlighted in the reference of modern literary criticism,contemporary literary criticism and Western avant-garde criticism.For the avant-garde novel criticism,the external changeable environment cannot deprive them of the "literariness" standpoint that they insist on,nor abandon their sincere pursuit of academic character.However,the lack of communication with readers and the self-shelved situation indeed should acquire the vigilance and attention of the avant-garde novel criticism.This paper is mainly divided into six parts.First,the concept of "avant-garde novel criticism" is defined and distinguished from "new-tide criticism" and "avant-garde criticism" in Introduction.Secondly,it is particularly pointed out that the study object in this paper does not include the elaboration and comment of avant-garde writers on avant-garde novels.Thirdly,the Introduction introduces the current research status of this topic.Finally,the research value and research method of this topic is pointed out.Chapter 1 begins with the occurrence of avant-garde novel criticism.The literature and criticism of the 80 s went into a self-conscious and pluralistic era together.The emergence of avant-garde novel text not only provided critics with the speech object,but also released their eager and passion for explaining new texts.On basis of accepting western critical theory,critics carried out the discursive breakthrough,which were supported and assisted by many literary journals with advanced ideas at the same time.The critical ideas of the avant-garde novel criticism are summarized in Chapter 2.The critics of avant-garde novel think that literature should speak in face of the "present" and can reflect the changes and value choice in real life quickly and promptly.At the same time,literature should also be a "language adventure",such as its subversion against the daily language thinking.In addition,remarkable literary works should break away from conventions and make an effective interpretation for the soul of individual freedom.Based on dynamic construction of the concept of "avant-garde",three different stages of understanding of "avant-garde" by ambiguity,confirmation and generalization are investigated in Chapter 3.On the whole,people's understanding of the concept of "avant-garde" has completed the thinking process from the "hurried ambiguous naming","explicit ontological identification" to "open and informal generalization definition".This dynamic change indicates that critics' criticism thinking has been further developed.The development and evolution of avant-garde novel criticism over thirty years are meticulously combed and analyzed from the global perspective in Chapter 4.The critics turn from the artistic nature of text to investigation of the "meaning" of creation;criticism theory also transforms from jerky theory to familiar theory dominance;and the criticism style trends from emotional expression to intellectual academic quest.In addition,the avant-garde novel criticism in new century rediscovers the traditional factors in text and salvages the normalized artistic heritage.The contemporary Chinese avant-garde novel criticism is compared with the Chinese modern literary criticism and the Western avant-garde criticism in Chapter 5 so as to establish the criticism characteristics of avant-garde novel criticism in reference therefrom.The language of contemporary Chinese avant-garde novel criticism does not possess the cordial and amiable characteristics of modern literary criticism but immersesthe maze of discourse.At the same time,the avant-garde novel criticism rejects the literary criticism of "seventeen years" and "the Cultural Revolution" by its independent artistic and aesthetic consciousness.In addition,the contemporary Chinese avant-garde novel criticism fulfills the inheritance of western avant-garde criticism in the scrutinize perspective of modernity.The contemporary Chinese avant-garde novel criticism is evaluated in Chapter 6from two dimensions of realistic significance and historical reflection.On the one hand,avant-garde novel criticism insists on "literariness",rejects the discourse violence and completes the classical construction of avant-garde novel with its self-discipline belief.On the other hand,there are melancholy contradictions in avant-garde novel criticism,i.e.it restricts its development while stimulating the creation of avant-garde novels.At the same time,there emerges alienated crisis between the elitist ideals of avant-garde novel criticism with the public readers.It also puts forward some practical suggestions on the existing drawbacks of avant-garde novel criticism in Epilogue at the same time of being full of confidence in avant-garde novel criticism and looking forward to the arrival of next resplendent era.