Narrative Of The Country

This paper probes the discourse on the peasants in the Chinese literature of the 20^th century, using theory and knowledge of sociology, economics, history and philosophy for reference. By way of discourse analysis, and at the angle of the history of literature thoughts, this paper inquires into the ideological intention hidden in the narrative of the peasants in the Chinese literature of the 20^th century, and studies its relations with discourse right. With this, the paper investigates the experience of the Chinese intellectuals of the 20^th century pursing modernization which is represented in their discourse on the peasant, and analyzes the narrative of the peasants in enlightenment discourse, modernization discourse, revolution discourse, discourse of people nature and so on.(1) The history of the views on the peasants and the explanation of its discourse.In modern China society, the word of peasant has a depreciative meaning with barbarism, backwardness, narrow-mindedness, meagerness, selfishness and so on, all of these deviate from the modernity standards. These views on the peasants are not from the beginning, but is produced and impressed by the modernity idea. Based on the serial dual opposites in tradition and modernity, the peasants, who are backward (opposite to advanced), barbaric (opposite to civil), conservative (opposite to enterprising), superstitious (opposite to scientific) and feudally polite (opposite to democratic), have become the symbol of traditional society. In the whole 20^th century, these views on the peasants are the supposition to criticize peasants and reform peasants.(2) The village in the desolate scene.In the 20^th Chinese literature, the country is always desolate in one's impression, being the symbol of Chinese traditional culture and the metaphor of the nation. The description of this desolate scene and peasant's life shows the awareness of modernity and the affirmation of national identity, and includes the proposition of the necessity and the urgency of revolution and modernization. Concerning on the village is characteristic in the 20* century thoughts, and it makes intellectuals turn from their imagination on village to a new observation on the real life. And then there is a change direction in the aesthetical rules of the literature.(3) The soul of inferior nation——and reflection on the enlightenment discourse.In the eyes of modern civilization, the peasants' deep-rooted bad habits, such as barbarism, backwardness, superstition, are obstacles to social progress, therefore, enlightenment movement of overcoming these habits becomes a main stream in the 20^th century China. However, because the movement is too utilitarian and too urgent, and the intellectuals can't know the country deeply, and always show the peasants' life with rough understanding, the enlightenment discourse is estranged from the forming cause of peasants' habits and the peasants' life condition.(4) The silent most——and reflection on the discourse right of modernization.As a group without discourse right, the peasants are the objects of being talked, no matter they are criticized or expressed by others. In the urgency of modernization, reforming peasant culture and their personality becomes a subject of the era, and the discourse right of modernization brings oppress on the peasant. It is more important to know deeply the peasants' life condition, than to rudely reform the peasants or realize the modernization of man. We should reflect modernization and rethink the problem on Chinese peasants.(5) On the moral concept of poor.Poor is honored and just, such discourse in revolution period has ideological intention. The moral concept of poor coming from Marxism and Chinese traditional equalitarianism is a kind of discourse strategy to divide social stratums, make friends and enemies, stir up class hatred, legalize...