Nationalism in Chinese Literature with Selected Author- Mo Yan
Nationalism and national sentiment are inseparable, national sentiment ‘is the feeling of anger aroused by the violation of the principle of the nation, or the feeling of satisfaction aroused by its fulfillment’ (Gellner 1). Some writers from earlier society or even until nowadays, tend to put their feelings towards their nation into words. Through writers’ narrative, readers feel the words and resonate with the context, which silently stays in the mind, without any trace of implementation. Soviet leader Joseph Stalin once described writers as ‘the engineer of the human soul’ and he believed that ‘literature was a powerful political tool’ (qtd. in Romeo). In China, much patriotic …show more content…
In this essay, we will discuss the background of Chinese nationalism in literature, and look into how nationalism in themed in the selected author Mo Yan’s literal work. In the end, this essay intends to seek how Mo Yan’s work might be shaped as a tool of propagating future governmental policy in China.
Before looking into how Mo’s work might be shaped as political propaganda, it is important to have a grasp of the historical background of Nationalism in Chinese literature and how propaganda can be implied in literature. Nationalism, according to Gellner is ‘a political principle, which holds that political and the national unit should be congruent’ (1). Nationalism is thus an ideology that pushes for the harmony of the nation state and its politics and by any means to be supported by individuals who live within it. Nationalism in China was heated during Mao’s era and Post-Mao era (Darr 9). On culture, Mao Zedong addressed writers in China as ‘heroes without battlefield’ during his speech at the Yan’an Forum on Art and Literature (1942). He meant by that ‘workers in …show more content…
In the book Frog (蛙), it talks about the society under one child policy and the timeframe is before Mao’s Cultural Revolution up until present days. The story is narrated by Tadpole, with the letters he sent to a Japanese friend. Tadpole tells the story of his auntie and the folks in Gaomi (where Mo grew up at). Unlike traditional Chinese women, Tadpole’s Gugu (auntie in Chinese) is intelligent, courageous and she was educated with medical knowledge which she later brings back to the village where Tadpole grew up in. As the story goes on, Gugu starts to change. Going through the betrayal of her love and the depression caused by the environment, she turn into an active and strict party follower that promotes and put into strict practice of one child policy. In the story, Mo did not directly criticize the policy, but by reading what the characters had been through, readers are able to sympathize with them and comprehend the struggles. People who had gone through this period, often asked themselves what they have done, and considered themselves as victims. Frog intended to answer the questions of these people. Although Mo was only 11 years old in his elementary school days when one child policy first established, he later joined the red guards, and hoped to achieve the accomplishment of
Nationalism and national sentiment are inseparable, national sentiment ‘is the feeling of anger aroused by the violation of the principle of the nation, or the feeling of satisfaction aroused by its fulfillment’ (Gellner 1). Some writers from earlier society or even until nowadays, tend to put their feelings towards their nation into words. Through writers’ narrative, readers feel the words and resonate with the context, which silently stays in the mind, without any trace of implementation. Soviet leader Joseph Stalin once described writers as ‘the engineer of the human soul’ and he believed that ‘literature was a powerful political tool’ (qtd. in Romeo). In China, much patriotic …show more content…
In this essay, we will discuss the background of Chinese nationalism in literature, and look into how nationalism in themed in the selected author Mo Yan’s literal work. In the end, this essay intends to seek how Mo Yan’s work might be shaped as a tool of propagating future governmental policy in China.
Before looking into how Mo’s work might be shaped as political propaganda, it is important to have a grasp of the historical background of Nationalism in Chinese literature and how propaganda can be implied in literature. Nationalism, according to Gellner is ‘a political principle, which holds that political and the national unit should be congruent’ (1). Nationalism is thus an ideology that pushes for the harmony of the nation state and its politics and by any means to be supported by individuals who live within it. Nationalism in China was heated during Mao’s era and Post-Mao era (Darr 9). On culture, Mao Zedong addressed writers in China as ‘heroes without battlefield’ during his speech at the Yan’an Forum on Art and Literature (1942). He meant by that ‘workers in …show more content…
In the book Frog (蛙), it talks about the society under one child policy and the timeframe is before Mao’s Cultural Revolution up until present days. The story is narrated by Tadpole, with the letters he sent to a Japanese friend. Tadpole tells the story of his auntie and the folks in Gaomi (where Mo grew up at). Unlike traditional Chinese women, Tadpole’s Gugu (auntie in Chinese) is intelligent, courageous and she was educated with medical knowledge which she later brings back to the village where Tadpole grew up in. As the story goes on, Gugu starts to change. Going through the betrayal of her love and the depression caused by the environment, she turn into an active and strict party follower that promotes and put into strict practice of one child policy. In the story, Mo did not directly criticize the policy, but by reading what the characters had been through, readers are able to sympathize with them and comprehend the struggles. People who had gone through this period, often asked themselves what they have done, and considered themselves as victims. Frog intended to answer the questions of these people. Although Mo was only 11 years old in his elementary school days when one child policy first established, he later joined the red guards, and hoped to achieve the accomplishment of