On The Argument Of Mass Culture In The Early 20th Century In China

As far as contemporary mass culture is concerned, the "Yuanyanghudie" Group which prevailed in Shanghai in the early 20th century is in fact a mass-cultural phenomenon and also the formal beginning of the developing history of Chinese mass culture. In those years, the new-literature authors and the authors belonging to "Yuanyanghudie" Group argued fiercely about the problems relating to mass culture and put forward a series of problems which were full of theoretical value and instructive meaning. All those Authors centered their attention on the cultural phenomenon which were represented by the "Yuanyanghudie" Group.Centered on the argument about "Yuanyanghudie" Group, this paper makes a systematic review and re-thought on the prevailing, the characters, the social role, the literary value of mass culture. As a result, on the one hand, this paper tries to rid people's misunderstanding of this Group and make people understand its truth; on the other hand, shows the different opinions of the mass cultural authors as the persons concerned and the new-literature authors as the critic. Those authors, some of them taking part in the argument and the others being independent to it, put forward some opinions which are full of realistic meaning to modem people. Finally, starting from the development of Chinese and Western cultural theory, this paper elaborates what enlightens the argument can give to the culture and literature of the new century, expecting to offer historic reference to the contemporary mass culture and promotes the healthy developing of the contemporary mass culture.