近代社会小说旨趣新探

A New Interpretation of the Purpose of the Contemporary Social Novels

在国人的淑世、强国思想和近代小说观念的影响下,近代中国出现了以创作旨趣和题材命名的社会小说,并借助报刊形成一定的声势。早期社会小说家出于救世强国的热心,按照他们的救世思想,进行社会小说创作,表达了他们科学救国、改良风俗和恢复道德以淑世的思想。这些思想虽然没能实现,但我们不能无视其存在,这是近代进步思想的有机组成部分,也是近代文学具有近代性的重要表现。

Under the influence of the national meliorism, the idea of strengthening the country and the contemporary novels, the contemporary China witnessed the emergence of social novels named according to the purpose of the creation and subject matter , which , assisted by the press, was once very trendy. The earlier novelists, motivated by the strong desire to save and vitalize China , created novels according to their ideal of saving the country and gave expression to their concept of saving the country by science and reforming the customs, and restoring ethics. Although these ideals were not realized, they can not be disregarded, since they are an organic part of the contemporary progressive thoughts and also represent the contemporary nature of the contemporary literature.