On The Evolution Of Realism In Yan Lianke’s Creation Practice

As "China’s most controversial writer",Yan Lianke has been an irrevocable existence in literary history.The importance of Yan Lianke’s creation for the contemporary literary world is reflected in two aspects.The first is the establishment of the "absurd realism" narrative style and aesthetic norms characterized by "allegorical" and "extreme".Second,the distinctive critical position and rebellious posture are mainly embodied in the deconstruction and subversion of "politics" and "revolution",and face the critical position of history and reality.These two characteristics have established Yan Lianke’s status as a literary field,making him one of the most important writers in contemporary literary world.Paradoxically,the controversy over Yan Lianke is precisely due to this.The focus of the debate focused on Yan Lianke’s writing as a transcendence of realism or a weak betrayal.In general,Yan Lianke’s creation has experienced a change from “realistic” realism to “absurd realism”.In fact,the controversy over Yan Lianke is also a debate on the rules of realism narrative.Therefore,it is necessary to clarify the reasons for the transformation of Yan Lianke from the source.This is not only the key to understanding Yan Lianke and his creation,but also a typical case to study the changes of realism since the 1980 s.It has certain significance for enriching the literary history.Therefore,studying the realist rheological problem in the practice of Yan Lianke is the key to solving the mystery of the dispute,and it is also the research focus of this thesis.Yan Lianke’s early writing(1979-1988)was basically in the stage of imitation and exploration of realist norms.The publication of " Two Chengs Hometown " in 1988 marked the transformation of Yan Lianke from the early "socialist realism" creation style to the "realistic" realism with enlightenment consciousness.After that,Yan Lianke,who had a strong desire to become a fame,was eager to gain a seat in the “great vanity fair” of the “literary world” and constantly change the subject and object of writing.The writing of the four “series” fully reflects Qi Lianke’s request.The changing trajectory constantly accepts and absorbs the creative factors of modernism,but this change is mainly carried out within realism.Due to various factors such as literary accomplishment and the literary environment in which he is located,the quality of Yan Lianke’s exploratory novels is not high,and has not attracted extensive attention from the literary world.In fact,Yan Lianke’s consciousness of seeking new change is not only the process of consciously seeking the positioning of self-literature,but also the effort and practice of the edge to the center of the literary field.In the 1990 s,the change of the literary field norm profoundly affected the transformation of Yan Lianke’s creation from "realistic" realism to "absurd realism." The increasingly strong "marketization" atmosphere has had a certain impact on Yan Lianke’s writing,indirectly cultivating his self-marketing awareness,and motivating him to voluntarily and actively seek to enter the unique cultural capital of the literary field.Yan Lianke also fully grasps all available resources to increase and consolidate the uniqueness of its literary capital.Among them,the award system and the critical mechanism as the leading factors of the literary field have a significant impact on the transformation of Yan Lianke.The favor of the first and second Lu Xun Literature Awards made a ceremonial coronation for Yan Lianke’s entry into the center of the literary field.This means that the "Fables" style of Yan Lianke’s novels is recognized.Some mainstream critics who are active in the front line appreciate the surreal writing techniques in Yan Lianke’s novels and appreciate their cautious courage to face reality.This encourages Yan Lianke to completely transform into "absurd realism." Yan Lianke’s identity as a banned author,a clear "criticism" consciousness,and a "subversion" tradition are appreciated by the overseas study community represented by France,which also shaped Yan Lianke’s "extreme" narrative style to some extent.Formed and prompted Yan Lianke to further break with the realist tradition.Yan Lianke’s practice from "realistic" realism to "absurd realism" is regulated by many factors.Realism is in an awkward position in the context of literature seeking new changes in the 1990 s.It is difficult to attract the attention of new critics by following the norms of realism.The lack of writers’ own literary experience,the lack of literary cultivation and the lack of passion for life restrict his achievements in realism.The joint efforts of these two aspects have pushed Yan Lianke to go further and further to the writing of "extremely" and "allegorical".Under the circumstance that the driving force for innovation has been exhausted,Yan Lianke still insists on the creation of “absurd realism” because it fits the atmosphere of the contemporary literary world eager to innovate and eager to intervene in reality and history.Yan Lianke grasped the literary market and accurately grasped the collective anxiety of the following altars facing history and reality.Therefore,it is difficult to say that his creative model has some kind of innovative growth point.In fact,the topic of "revolution" and "politics" provided by Yan Lianke’s "absurd realism" creation provides some kind of specimen for the study of cultural criticism that is increasingly flourishing.The transformation of Yan Lianke’s creative practice reflects the dilemma faced by contemporary realism.His "transformation" is not a natural occurrence,but the result of participating in the "literary field" struggle.In addition to the utilitarian motives of entering the literary field,the internal motivations such as the lack of literary resources and the lack of literary cultivation are also catalysts for Yan Lianke to move toward "absurd realism." Therefore,the writing of Yan Lianke’s "absurd realism" is actually a product of utilitarian pursuit,a betrayal of the spirit of realism,not a transcendence.