Performance Of Breakout In Culture Relic

Either the political turbulence in late1980s and early1990s or thefollowing industrialization and commercialization exerts quaky influences onthe Chinese contemporary literary world. Alienated themselves from thepolitical issues, contemporary writers write for the market, which makes thepresent literary scene of commercialization, individualization and appetency.In the peculiar cultural context of the 1990s, "New Generation ofWriters"makes themselves the spotlight of the age by declaring that "we willbreak from the established literary tradition". They take great efforts to makethem heard in such a multi-axiological and multi-voiced epoch in order tovalidate their existence. This controversy begins from the questionnaire on"breaking from tradition"initiated by Zhu Wen and Han Dong in 1998.This thesis aims to restore the basic picture of the literary scene byexploring the various viewpoints and notions, and examine the essentialproblems beneath the surface: the deep cultural psychologies on the oppositesides, the reasons of the disagreement, the problems exposed and thelimitations of New Generation's way of rebellion, etc.Part One Retrospect of the ControversyI. the Inevitability of New Generation's BirthThe development of market economy in the 1990s provides agreeableconditions for the literary change, while the Tian'anmen Event in 1989impacts fiercely the souls of Chinese writers and intellectuals. As the mostsensible observers of contemporary life, writers attempt to break out of theliterary tradition and stand on the opposite of literary history, rather thanremain as one part of the whole. The emergence of the New Generation is theproof of the point.The writers of New Generation, including Han Dong, Zhu Wen, QiuHuadong, He Dun, Li Bai, and Wei Hui, etc, are intellectually active,meditative of life, and amazingly prolific. Without grand narrative or heroicdidacticism in their works, they return to the realistic expression of averagepeople's existence, stress the discovery and presentation of desires, instinctsand ambition of individual person, and cherish the individual existence andexperience to a degree that never happens before. The tendency of "oddwriting"turns undoubtedly to be the focus of fictional narration in the 1990s.The existence of the New Generation of writers indicates the immensepossibilities beyond the established tradition. They earn their living by writingfor the market and base on the individual life experience.II. the Investigation of Questionnaire on RuptureThe term "rupture"originates from one investigation titled Rupture—AQuestionnaire by Zhu Wen in 1998. The participants of the questionnaire aremainly the New Generation writers with the one-writer-questions-another-onedesign. The questionnaires were posted to 73 Chinese writers among which 56were mailed back before July 13th, 1998. The investigation initiated by ZhuWen stirred greatly the sluggish and inactive Chinese literary world.Since the questions in the investigation are sharply and pointedlydesigned, answers are tendentious and the objects carefully selected, theconclusion is apparent. Every writer involved holds their beliefs firmly anddeclares that they are the "Grow-up Generation"and are against the existingliterary order, and that they attempt to break from tradition. The writers as ZhuWen attempt to prove their unique existence through the investigation, which,in some sense, could be considered as one aforethought "performance ofspiritual breakout".Actually, the controversies about the New Generation Writers is not outof the sight even before the Rupture Event, such as the contestation on twoZhangs, the contest about Zhu Wen's I Love Dollars, and the so-called"Nanjing Conflict"in 1998,etc. the controversy about Rupture is merely oneof the most fierce quarrels.III. the Controversial Views on the Questionnaire of RuptureThe investigation attracts great attention from many literary andnon-literary people who have opposite ideas. The ones who criticize thembelieve that the new generation writers intend to obtain the "discoursehegemony"and establish their literary fame with the obsolete strategies ofdenying all and deserting all. Li Wanwu argues that writers as Zhu Wen areunscrupulous egoists, who are both crankily aggressive and at the same timementally close in culture. He asserts that their works are third class in spite oftheir fame. Others like Chen Xiaoming commend them. He holds that Rupturefrom tradition is not horrible, and it is merely the new generation writers'strategy to deny the established aesthetic supremacy, and to construct theirown literary theory and aesthetic standards in a different way.Ge Hongbing, with the appreciation of new generation writers'creation,states that the affirmation of desires is their way to identify themselves. HanDong with others also defends himself, claiming that they aim to reassure theideal goal of literature, reaffirm in literary practices the supremacy of verity,creativeness, freedom and art which are far more important than the literaryorder and individual reputation.Part Two The Analysis of Some Problems in the ControversyI. Importance and SignificanceFirst, the controversy proves that one discourse such as that of newgeneration writers in the multi-voiced world can manifest its inspiring power.It is possible for them to attract others'attention of their presence, obtain theexterior acceptance, occupy one place in the literary world and make it morepowerful. Secondly, the firm beliefs and rebellious stance win them numerouspotential readers, and consequently make their highly individualized text more...