Chinese intellectuals in the war: Chongqing, 1937-1945

This dissertation is a study of the experience of a group of writers who organized "The Chinese Writers Association" in the Nationalist capital of Chongqing during the Sino-Japanese War, 1937-1945. It examine these writers' participation in political, social, and literary movements, focusing on the ways in which they understood nationalism, their search for a meaningful role during the war, and their struggle for survival. In addition, by exploring the attitude of the writers toward the Nationalist government, this study contributes to an understanding of the state-society relationship in modern China.; There are two themes that this dissertation focuses on. One is Nationalism, the other is the relationship between Chinese intellectuals and the government. It shows that Nationalism was the crucial element in forming the writers' own association, the first independent professional organization of Chinese writers in twentieth century China. As part of the discourse on Nationalism, the writers launched the campaign of literary popularization, an important intellectual movement which attempted the first serious rethinking of the trends in Chinese literature since the May Fourth movement. Nationalism was so powerful during the war that it could be easily used for attacking ideological opponents.; The relationship between Chinese intellectuals and the Nationalist government during the war was an important issue that helps explain the post-war Chinese political history. By examining the social conditions of wartime Chongqing, particularly the relative decline of writers' living standards, this study argues that the dislocations and sharp changes in writers' living standards during the war played an important role in changing their attitudes toward the Nationalist government. This change was particularly important because these same writers had a crucial influence on the shaping of popular opinion.