Literary Master 1978.

Chapter 81 The world is so big, it’s more than just the east and west

“…its rise is not only a reflection of the transformation of social thought in a special historical period, but also an urgent appeal from the bottom of people’s hearts for historical truth, human dignity and reflection on suffering.

After a decade of turmoil, writers began to face up to the pain of the past, using their pens to touch upon those obscured and forgotten corners of history. By revealing the scars of history and the tragic fate of individuals, they awakened people to deep thinking about historical justice and social progress.

In many works of scar literature, we see many common characteristics. Most of them deeply explore the changes in the lives of ordinary people and the psychological trauma under historical events, and use realistic methods to depict people's confusion and pain, struggle and awakening under current social changes, as well as their adherence to and pursuit of humanity, morality, and truth.

It can be said that scar literature not only records a painful page in history, but also promotes the liberation of social thought and the diversified development of literature and art with its powerful critical power.

From these perspectives, the rise of scar literature has its inevitable historical reasons and mission..."

The sound from the microphone echoed in the huge dining hall. Due to the operation of the diffuser, Lin Chaoyang's voice was slightly distorted, but it revealed a resounding sense of certainty.

His analysis of the rise of scar literature was so insightful that it won the heartfelt recognition of many listeners in the dining hall.

The vast majority of the audience present had experienced the ten years of turmoil, and they naturally understood what scar literature meant to ordinary readers.

"Don't be fooled by Xu Lingjun's average looks. I think he's better at explaining scar literature than Professor Han."

Under the rostrum, Wu Yingfang stared at the stage and whispered to Tao Yushu.

Her words first criticized and then praised, but to Tao Yushu's ears, he only heard the words "average looking".

How come you look average? Are you pretty?

"Oh! What a pity! He would be perfect if he really looked like Xu Lingjun!" Wu Yingfang sighed again.

You're so beautiful, but it has nothing to do with you if she looks like Xu Lingjun.

Whenever his friend said something, Tao Yushu would secretly complain about it, and then try to persuade himself.

Forget it, ignorance is not a crime.

Not far from the two of them, Wang Xiaoping and Cha Jianying also gathered together.

"He's quite eloquent." Cha Jianying said sarcastically.

"Didn't he just refuse an assignment from Today?"

"I didn't say anything."

Wang Xiaoping said disdainfully: "What they said was so good, and all of it was insightful. Don't always wear tinted glasses."

Zha Jianying was too lazy to argue with Wang Xiaoping. Wang Xiaoping always said that she admired Zhao Zhenkai. Wasn't she the same? Her eyes were almost fixed on the stage.

While Lin Chaoyang was giving a speech on the stage, the students below would occasionally communicate with their classmates and friends around them, verifying each other's ideas and opinions on the content of the speech.

Halfway through the speech, no one noticed that a middle-aged man with a kind face walked into the dining room.

As Liu Xinwu entered the room, he felt a darkness in front of his eyes. Because there were too many people crammed in, the air in the dining hall was turbid, mixed with all kinds of sweat and body odors, the smell was hard to describe.

But at this moment, everyone's attention was deeply attracted by the speaker on the stage and they were not distracted.

Liu Xinwu didn't expect that Lin Chaoyang's speech would be so popular. Then he thought of the scenes of himself going to various places to participate in activities over the past year. In fact, it was similar to today. This is the magic of scar literature.

Yesterday he had just finished reading Lin Chaoyang's newly published novella "Little Shoes". This story was told by Lin Chaoyang himself when he was commissioning the article from him.

It turns out that words are far more moving than spoken words.

He shed tears several times while reading the novel, but he did not feel that the text was overly sentimental.

He is engaged in writing work, and it is obvious that Lin Chaoyang has actually maintained great restraint when dealing with the plot and characters.

But as a reader, Liu Xinwu himself still couldn't help himself while reading it, which only shows the outstanding quality of the novel itself.

Its freshness and timelessness are unforgettable, and its positivity and sunshine warm people's hearts.

The fresh and unconventional style of "Little Shoes" is unique in the Chinese literary world.

Although he felt that Lin Chaoyang's work was definitely correct at the beginning, Liu Xinwu still fell into regret after reading the novel.

If he had known that the finished product would be so excellent, he would have definitely gotten this novel.

Liu Xinwu recalled the scene in his mind where Lin Chaoyang asked him to raise the price, and an idea popped up in his mind.

If I had really raised his price at that time, maybe he would have really given the novel to October.

That's just the reason people gave for rejection, how can you take it seriously?

With a wry smile, Liu Xinwu threw away the unrealistic thoughts in his mind and focused on his speech. Although he could not see the situation in front of him clearly, he could hear the voices clearly.

He is also famous in the literary world for his scar literature, and he wants to hear what scar literature is like in Lin Chaoyang's mind.

“…As I mentioned earlier, the rise of scar literature is largely in response to the call of the times and the change in social trends.

In December last year, the country just made the decision to reform and open up. We should see that the country is entering a new historical stage.

With the passage of time and changes in the social environment, the soil on which scar literature originally depended for its survival is disintegrating, and its creative themes and forms of expression are also facing pressure for transformation.

In this regard, the emergence of reflective literature is the best evidence.

We must realize that changes in the social environment have made it so that simply exposing scars and denouncing history can no longer meet the readers' deep-seated cultural needs; on the other hand, with the deepening of economic reforms, the literary world is also beginning to turn its attention to broader areas and issues of social life.

From my shallow understanding, as a product of a specific historical stage, the spiritual core and humanistic care of scar literature are of self-evident significance to Chinese literature.

But we have to admit that many of its literary concepts and creative techniques have great limitations. I think it is inevitable that scar literature will gradually fade out of the mainstream literary field in the near future.

Its prosperity is also great, and its death is also sudden.

The rise of scar literature is accompanied by the pain, cry and reflection of a generation, and its decline is bound to be accompanied by the growth, exploration and confusion of a generation..."

Lin Chaoyang's talk about the decline of scar literature is not a prophetic prediction. In fact, many knowledgeable people in the literary world have already realized the shortcomings and limitations of scar literature.

It's just that scar literature has been so overwhelming in the past two years that it has set off the most spectacular cultural phenomenon since the founding of the People's Republic of China in the mainstream literary world, drowning out the rational voices of many people under a sea of ​​flowers and brocade. When Lin Chaoyang entered the second half of his speech, elaborating on the inevitable decline of scar literature, the atmosphere in the dining hall underwent some subtle changes.

A low but harsh buzz gradually emerged in the originally quiet conference hall. When Lin Chaoyang, in the second half of his discussion, spoke categorically about the inevitable decline of scar literature, the buzz reached its peak.

Many students present looked indignant, seemingly disagreeing with Lin Chaoyang's views. But more people looked thoughtful, wondering whether the content of Lin Chaoyang's speech was worth considering.

Lin Chaoyang did not care about the voices from the audience, he stood steadily on the stage, his face as calm as a lake, and spoke calmly.

"Zhenkai, do you think his analysis is correct?" Mang Ke looked at his friend beside him.

Zhao Zhenkai looked serious. "That makes sense. Scar literature is ultimately a product of the times, but his conclusion is a bit arbitrary. Since ancient times, which genre of poetry and song has not dominated an era? Although they eventually declined, aren't those classics still praised by later generations?"

Munk reminded: "So he said decline, not destruction!"

Zhao Zhenkai laughed when his friend reminded him, "I almost fell into my own misunderstanding. Indeed, if we follow this line of thought, his idea is not wrong."

While the two were talking, no one noticed that an old man with a broad forehead was listening to their conversation.

After hearing what the two said, the old man smiled slightly and looked at the young man on the stage with eyes full of admiration and a bit of pride.

“The emergence of scar literature tells us that literature cannot avoid the scars of history. Only by facing and reflecting on the scars of the past can we better heal and move forward.

But at the same time, it is not advisable to dwell on past sufferings and feel sorry for yourself.

Literature is a very broad concept. When we are smart enough to add a qualifier in front of it, it means that we are putting shackles on ourselves.

Literature is the crystallization of human spiritual civilization. It should expose darkness and praise nobility. History and the times will not stop and wait for personal will. The perspectives of our creators should not be confined to a certain corner, but should record and reflect from a historical perspective, providing a platform for future generations to understand Chinese culture and history. "

At this point in his speech, Lin Chaoyang paused, glanced around the audience, and a smile appeared on his face.

“The above are my personal shallow thoughts and brief analysis of scar literature. Thank you for listening.”

After he said this, he put the microphone back on the table, and the audience burst into applause.

It is conservatively estimated that there are two thousand people in the dining hall today. Even though some of them do not agree with Lin Chaoyang's ideas, it does not prevent the majority from giving their applause full of appreciation and admiration.

The thunderous applause lasted for more than a minute. From time to time, shouts from some enthusiastic audiences could be heard from the audience. Lin Chaoyang bowed to the audience several times to express his gratitude.

Judging from the audience's reaction, this was undoubtedly a very successful speech.

After a long while, Zhang Youhua, who was in charge of hosting the show, came on stage and guided the readers to ask questions.

He pointed to a frail young man in the front row. He looked frail, but his tone of voice was very aggressive when he asked questions.

"Comrade Xu Lingjun, you just mentioned that scar literature has the limitations of a specific era and group of people. I have a different opinion on this point.

Looking at literary works from ancient times to the present, both in China and abroad, which work does not bear the imprint of that era?

Which work does not have the limitations you mentioned?
My opinion is exactly the opposite of yours. Although scar literature has only appeared for two or three years, it is also constantly developing and evolving.

With the iteration of creative content, it is possible to expand its own boundaries and accommodate various diversities. After continuous screening over time, a large number of classic works will inevitably be left behind in the end, which will be passed down to future generations!"

The frail young man eloquently opposed Lin Chaoyang's opinion, and after talking about his own ideas, he looked at Lin Chaoyang with burning eyes, as if waiting for his counterattack.

Lin Chaoyang was not impatient because of the aggressiveness shown by the weak young man. He remained calm and pondered for a moment.

"This student is right. Any literary genre or subject matter may undergo fission under the impetus of time. I agree with what you said. Scar literature is likely to continue to develop and continue to absorb all kinds of things.

Can……"

At this point, a smile appeared on his face. "If that's the case, wouldn't it be better if we remove the word 'scars'?"

If we remove the “scars”, isn’t that “literature”?
The frail young man was slightly stunned, then he understood what Lin Chaoyang meant.

Literature is like an ocean that embraces all rivers, so why does it need scar literature to pull a big cart with a small horse?

In the context of literature, it is a bit far-fetched to say that scar literature is all-encompassing.

At this time, the audience also understood what Lin Chaoyang meant, and a burst of laughter broke out in the dining hall.

The weak young man wanted to fight back unwillingly, but Zhang Youhua pointed to a female student who raised her hand the highest in the crowd.

"Xu...Hello, Comrade Lin Chaoyang. I am from the Philosophy Department of Renmin University. I just finished reading your novel "Little Shoes" a few days ago. The novel is very well written, but I have a question about the ideas revealed in the novel.

In your novels, there seems to be too much trust in human nature, especially rural society, which always seems to be full of warmth and affection.

But based on my life experience, this does not seem to be the case.

When we look at the works of Chinese writers after the May Fourth Movement, including those of Mark Twain, Faulkner, Dickens, and Hugo, we find that they are all full of touching and profound meanings.

In comparison, works like "Little Shoes" seem a bit thin in terms of their core ideas."

The girl's tone was not as aggressive as the weak boy's, but the content was very sharp. In one sentence, she pointed out the part of the novel "Little Shoes" that may be most criticized by contemporary readers.

Readers of their generation grew up reading Lu Xun and Ba Jin, and are deeply convinced of the evil of human nature and human inferiority. The warmth and sunshine shown in "Little Shoes" are incompatible with the development direction of Chinese literature in recent decades.

"The creation of writers is mainly based on their personal life experience. If you were Xiangzi, you might find it difficult to understand Tagore's state of mind when he wrote Stray Birds.

The core of "Little Shoes" is positive and sunny. Such stories may not be common in real life, but they are definitely not nonexistent. Just like when you look at Kong Yiji, you know that there must be such people in the world, but not all people are like this.

Whether it is Eastern literature or Western literature, there are works that focus on describing human nature and exposing darkness, and there should also be works that pursue light and praise truth, goodness and beauty. "

When Lin Chaoyang said this, the girl looked dissatisfied and was about to open her mouth to refute.

At this time, Lin Chaoyang said: "In fact, the world is so big, it's not just about the East and the West. The same is true for literature."

Once these words were spoken, the overall situation was revealed.

The audience burst into applause!

(End of this chapter)