论沈从文的“自我经典化”

Views on Shen Congwen’s “Self Classicalization”

文学经典的生成是一个历史化过程。在这个过程中,作家并非无可作为。本着对经典的自觉追求和对自己作品价值的深刻体认,沈从文将自身置于现代中国文学与世界文学的历史时空中,自觉承担了经典建构的历史使命。这一建构过程彰显出鲜明的"自我经典化"色彩,主要体现在三个方面:利用小说选本的整理、保存、评价功能,对自己文学作品的经典性进行价值评估;借助文学批评反复标举文学理想,并通过自我阐释来实现在文学史脉络中的自我定位;经由文学教育努力传播个人艺术追求与美学理念,实践再造经典、重塑"新文学"的文学理想,以期将自己纳入文学经典的体系中。沈从文的"自我经典化",不但拓展了现代文学有关经典的思考与认识,且在一定程度上推动了其文学经典地位的最终确立。

The generation of literary classics is a historicization process,during which the the role of writers is not absent.Based on the conscious pursuit of classics and profound recognition of the value of his own works,Shen Congwen placed himself in the historical space and time of modern Chinese literature and world literature,consciously undertook the historical mission of the construction of classics.This construction process itself shows a distinct color of “self classicalization”,which is mainly reflected in the following three aspects:by utilizing the function of “arrangement,preservation and evaluation” of the selected novels,Shen evaluated the classical value of his literary works;by means of literary criticism,Shen repeatedly elevated literary ideals and realized self-positioning in the context of literary history through self-interpretation;through literary education,Shen tried to spread his artistic pursuit and aesthetic idea and practiced his literary ideal of reconstructing classics and rebuilding “new literature” so as to get himself accepted in the system of literary classics.Shen Congwen’s “self-classicalization” not only expanded the thinking and understanding of the classics in modern literature,but also promoted to a certain extent the final establishment of his literary classic status.