May Fourth Vernacular Movement's Main Initiators' Vernacular Newspaper Practice In Modern Times (1903-1909)

The occurrence and development of the May Fourth Vernacular Movement was greatly related with the initiation and advocate of several critical intellectuals in May Fourth times, namely, Hu Shi, Chen Duxiu and Cai Yuanpei. And it was because that these three gentlemen had all been involved in editing vernacular newspapers in Modern times that they were able to initiate and advocate May Fourth Vernacular Revolution.And this thesis will undergo careful case studies on Cai Yuanpei's editing E Shi Jing Wen and Jing Zhong in 1903-1904, and Chen Duxiu's editing An Hui Su Hua Bao in 1904-1905, as well as Hu Shi's editing Jing YeXun Bao in 1906-1909.Main studies will cover: the four vernacular newspapers' brief histories, editing styles and their editors' considerations for choosing vernacular writing style; the three gentlemen's representative vernacular articles published on the four vernacular newspapers and their styles, appearances, values and limitations, and their abilities to handle with vernacular writing style when it was still some ten years away from May Fourth Vernacular Movement; the changes of the three gentlemen's views on vernacular writing style or vernacular literature from Modern times to May Fourth times, their own characteristics and bias, and their editing experiences' influences on their changes of opinions.Featuring in specific and abundant historic materials and the combination of historic materials and research, the above studies will illustrate that the Vernacular Movement in Modern times had indeed prepared initiators, advocates and accepting environment for the Vernacular Movement in May Fourth times; however, the Vernacular Movement in Modern times was in itself greatly bottle-necked, thus the May Fourth Vernacular Movement must be called for to tackle the problem and help realize the tasks of the evolution of the people and the healing of the nation.