In Chinese literature, there are prominent themes of repression that arose during the time period of Mao Zedong’s rule and the Chinese Cultural Movement. During this movement, the original Chinese culture was repressed by communists who attempted to reform society. Those who resisted these reforms were murdered. These events set the stage for the theme of repression to make its way into Chinese literature. To reflect this theme, Chinese authors used the literary devices of visual consistency, conflict between two forces, and allusion to actual events.
The first literary device used was visual consistency of lines and stanzas in poems. In some Chinese poems, consistency was used to force a reader to read in between the lines. Rather that …show more content…
In stories and poems, communists are shown stamping out original culture. Eventually, this Chinese Cultural Movement began to violently remake society. “The beasts on the cliff run past, trampling the flowers.”(Dao 146) The beasts in this story are the communists, trampling the flowers of culture and resistance. From the repression, resistances began to grow. Those who did not approve of the remakes of Chines began to show and the conflict began to appear in their writings. For example, “Dandelions grow secretly in a certain corner; the wind has carried away its seeds.” (Dao 146) Those who were dandelions are the resistance, whose seeds have been planted into the minds of others. At the same time, acceptance of the cultural “remake” arose in literature. Some Chinese began to give up and accept the repression. A quote by Kawabata explains this almost-brainwashing rather well: “And to your clouded, wounded mind, even a true bell cricket will seem like a grasshopper.”(Kawabata 162) At this point, the Chinese who have accepted the repression of culture are so brainwashed that even the truth of the matters at hand will seem like lies. These conflicts in literature gave way to allusions to actual events in China at the time of the Cultural
The first literary device used was visual consistency of lines and stanzas in poems. In some Chinese poems, consistency was used to force a reader to read in between the lines. Rather that …show more content…
In stories and poems, communists are shown stamping out original culture. Eventually, this Chinese Cultural Movement began to violently remake society. “The beasts on the cliff run past, trampling the flowers.”(Dao 146) The beasts in this story are the communists, trampling the flowers of culture and resistance. From the repression, resistances began to grow. Those who did not approve of the remakes of Chines began to show and the conflict began to appear in their writings. For example, “Dandelions grow secretly in a certain corner; the wind has carried away its seeds.” (Dao 146) Those who were dandelions are the resistance, whose seeds have been planted into the minds of others. At the same time, acceptance of the cultural “remake” arose in literature. Some Chinese began to give up and accept the repression. A quote by Kawabata explains this almost-brainwashing rather well: “And to your clouded, wounded mind, even a true bell cricket will seem like a grasshopper.”(Kawabata 162) At this point, the Chinese who have accepted the repression of culture are so brainwashed that even the truth of the matters at hand will seem like lies. These conflicts in literature gave way to allusions to actual events in China at the time of the Cultural