The "Cultural Hero" In The Knowledge Economic Time

"Wang Xiaobo" has become a cultural phenomenon. In the literature creation, he has already become an important part of the aesthetic background in our later reading. As a cultural event, the rapid and lasting growth of the population who likes his works is as worthwhile to be paid special attention to and made a thorough inquiry about as his distinctive creation is. Through inspecting his main receptive groups, the main media which had published his works before he died and the forming process of "the Wang Xiaobo phenomenon", the author thinks that Wang Xiaobo's "popularity" is closely related to "the pseudo-middle-class's cultural Utopia" brought in by Chinese market-oriented economy at the end of the 90's and the emergence of "the pseudo-middle-class" /the social stratum holding the cultural capital. Under the superficial bustle manipulated by the media, what's projected on Wang Xiaobo is actually a profound culture imagination and self- approval of the middle class. He is precisely the new "cultural hero" introduced by "the pseudo-middle-class" /the social stratum holding cultural capital with all their strength in the knowledge economy time. In this upsurge, possibly, the powerful causes for the "the Wang Xiaobo phenomenon" lies in his sciences and engineering major, oversea education experience and free-lance writer identity which constitute Wang Xiaobo "himself", whereas the main power which continuously impels the upsurge depends profoundly on "his texts". The author believes, the unusual ingenious thought, the formidable subversion, the particular aesthetic appeal and life conception presented by him as well as the unique intellectual image portrayed by him in his work all happen to coincide and satisfies the social psychology and the social demand of the rising "the pseudo-middle-class"/the social stratum holding the cultural capital. They place the cultural imagination of their stratum on "Wang Xiaobo", a synthetic complex composed by both "Wang xiaobo himself" and "his texts". Through their consumption of "Wang Xiaobo", they continue (or continue in imagination) their own culture acquisition, create or determine their own identity. Moreover, through their adoration, consumption and even romanticization of Wang Xiaobo, they both subvert and participate in the construction of the mainstream culture. However, this is by no means a one-way choice, but a two-way interactive process between Wang Xiaobo and the "the pseudo-middle-class"/ the social stratum holding the cultural capital. Wang Xiaobo has acted as the "torchbearer" of this social stratum to a large extent. It is just what he proposed a wise, sensual and interesting life conception and what he advocated about rationality and freedom that powerfully mold the cultural personality of this social stratum. In this article, the author will lay special emphasis on inspecting the relationship between Wang Xiaobo and the "the pseudo-middle-class"/the social stratum holding the cultural capital from the angle of Wang Xiaobo himself and the quality of his texts so as to understand the "the Wang Xiaobo phenomenon" on a deeper level, expecting to achieve a better perspective on our times' cultural spirit through the decoding of this cultural symptom.