The Evolution Of Yu Hua’s Novels’ Maternal Themes From An Existentialist Perspective

Existential philosophy has always revolved around the theme of "void-redemption" concerning human existence.Yu Hua is one of the most influential contemporary Chinese writers both domestically and internationally,whose literary works have always focused on human survival and development with high humanitarian care.His depiction of individual survival and human nature in his novels often coincide with the spirit of existentialism,making him a writer with a strong existentialist philosophy.From the pioneer period of "false literary views" to the realistic portrayal of folk life in the 1990 s,and then to the desire writing of the20 th century,and finally,embracing the tragedy of humanity in "Chronicle of a Blood Merchant," the process of Yu Hua’s novel creation is like searching for the path of individual existence and seeking redemption in the void.Based on existing research achievements,this paper uses existentialist philosophy theory and literary advocacy to explore the evolution of Yu Hua’s representative novel themes from the pioneer period to the present day.By exploring the existential commonality in the evolution of Yu Hua’s novel themes,reflecting on the value and meaning of individual survival in the era and real-life,this paper seeks to investigate the existential spiritual characteristics and the significance of life aesthetics in Yu Hua’s novel creation.The paper is divided into six chapters.Chapter one is an introduction,where the author firstly introduces the research background,analyzes the current research status of Yu Hua,especially on the existentialist research of his novels,and then explains the research methods and significance of this paper.In chapter two,the author explores the concept and ideological propositions of existentialism and then discusses the concept,characteristics,and role of the novel theme in literary research,laying the theoretical foundation for the following chapters.In chapter three,based on the four stages of the evolution of Yu Hua’s novel themes,including the pioneer period of the "violence" theme,the 1990s’ "suffering" theme,the new century’s "desire" theme,and the "friendship" theme in "Chronicle of a Blood Merchant," the author carries out analyses and interpretations respectively,aiming to understand the ideological core and cultural connotation in Yu Hua’s works,and to observe the existence status of people in different social backgrounds more comprehensively.In chapter four,through the analysis and reflection on the novel themes of Yu Hua in various stages,the author further explores the "existence" commonality possessed by these themes during their evolution and considers the consistency in Yu Hua’s novel theme development.Chapter five examines the philosophical origins behind Yu Hua’s "existence view" from his own perspective,mainly affected by three aspects: unique life experience,special views on life and death,and constantly adjusting literary realism.In chapter six,the author digs into the life aesthetics reflected in Yu Hua’s novels,including the wisdom of surviving in knowing death and the awareness of life towards death,and draws contemporary inspirations through the life aesthetics embodied in Yu Hua’s works.