Shen Congwen(1902-1988)was a high-profile modern Chinese writer,and one of the most discussed Chinese writers within and outside China.For his whole life,he considered himself a“countryman”,different from his contem...Shen Congwen(1902-1988)was a high-profile modern Chinese writer,and one of the most discussed Chinese writers within and outside China.For his whole life,he considered himself a“countryman”,different from his contemporary writers,and he employed his regional background to his advantage.His attention on the Miao ethnic culture in his home region,West Hunan Province,was constant.In the first half of the twentieth century,while the cities of China started to move towards modernity,the Miao people in West Hunan Province remained relatively primitive and marginalized.With his re-imagination and possible over-romanticism of the marginalized Miao culture,Shen became one of the most unique modern Chinese writers.This kind of marginalization in both folk music and literature clashed with modern China’s interest and need to revitalize its society.This paper will argue that,with the application of psychoanalytical and cultural anthropological theories,the folk music of a minority group that was incomprehensible to mainstream modern China exactly brought out the“marginally”modernist quality of Shen Congwen’s literary works.展开更多
文摘Shen Congwen(1902-1988)was a high-profile modern Chinese writer,and one of the most discussed Chinese writers within and outside China.For his whole life,he considered himself a“countryman”,different from his contemporary writers,and he employed his regional background to his advantage.His attention on the Miao ethnic culture in his home region,West Hunan Province,was constant.In the first half of the twentieth century,while the cities of China started to move towards modernity,the Miao people in West Hunan Province remained relatively primitive and marginalized.With his re-imagination and possible over-romanticism of the marginalized Miao culture,Shen became one of the most unique modern Chinese writers.This kind of marginalization in both folk music and literature clashed with modern China’s interest and need to revitalize its society.This paper will argue that,with the application of psychoanalytical and cultural anthropological theories,the folk music of a minority group that was incomprehensible to mainstream modern China exactly brought out the“marginally”modernist quality of Shen Congwen’s literary works.
