Volume 02 Issue 05-2022
10
International Journal Of Literature And Languages
(ISSN
–
2771-2834)
VOLUME
02
I
SSUE
05
Pages:
10-15
SJIF
I
MPACT
FACTOR
(2021:
5.
705
)
(2022:
5.
705
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OCLC
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1121105677
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IF
–
5.914
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Oscar Publishing Services
Servi
ABSTRACT
This article is dedicated to women writers of the 1980s, who are an integral and important part of Chinese literature.
In the works created in the mid-80s, the writers not only described the horrors of the recent past of the people, but
also tried to analyze and observe the flaws that still persist in the society that hinders the development of the country.
As a result, journalism has developed rapidly, and the direction of "search for roots" has emerged. In the literature,
the development of this direction was a peculiar necessity, because after the Cultural Revolution, many writers
realized the poverty and backwardness of existing literature and actively sought to take literature to a new level.
KEYWORDS
China, women’s literature, “Searching for Roots”, Western literature.
INTRODUCTION
Women’s creativity is an integral part of the Chinese
literary process. The emergence of women’s literature
in China dates back to very ancient times and covers a
large period in terms of development. The state of
China, the hearth of ancient civilization, has undergone
many dangerous, conflicting political processes
throughout its historical development. In particular,
the twentieth century was a period of various
revolutions and political upheavals. Women's literature
also developed in tandem with the times. Today, China
has become a country with a female literary
environment that is radically different from the ancient
times when the names of female artists were used
anonymously. "Women's literature"
女性文学
is
officially used as a literary term in China. Women's
creativity has formed a huge literary heritage, and to
Research Article
THE POSITION “SEARCHING FOR ROOTS” HOLDS IN THE LITERATURE
GENRE OF FEMALE AUTHORS AND THEIR CREATIONS IN CHINA
Submission Date:
May 05, 2022,
Accepted Date:
May 15, 2022,
Published Date:
May 25, 2022
Crossref doi:
https://doi.org/10.37547/ijll/Volume02Issue05-03
Nazirova M. Shukriya
Senior Lecturer, PhD, Department of Chinese Philology, Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies,
Uzbekistan
Journal
Website:
https://theusajournals.
com/index.php/ijll
Copyright:
Original
content from this work
may be used under the
terms of the creative
commons
attributes
4.0 licence.
Volume 02 Issue 05-2022
11
International Journal Of Literature And Languages
(ISSN
–
2771-2834)
VOLUME
02
I
SSUE
05
Pages:
10-15
SJIF
I
MPACT
FACTOR
(2021:
5.
705
)
(2022:
5.
705
)
OCLC
–
1121105677
METADATA
IF
–
5.914
Publisher:
Oscar Publishing Services
Servi
this day its various aspects are being studied by world
synologists.
THE MAIN RESULTS AND FINDINGS
1978 marks a new page in Chinese history. China
opened its doors to the whole world that year. Such
profound changes in society are explained by the
abandonment of revolutionary radicalism and the step
towards reform [1]. Many intellectuals who were
oppressed during the Cultural Revolution came to
light. The country was in dire need of strong and skilled
professionals. These processes also had a significant
impact on the literature.
Chinese scholar Hong Zicheng recommends that the
literature of the 80s be divided into two stages: the
period before 1985 and the period after it [2]. The
beginning of the 1980s was a period of "opening up"
and "assimilating" different ideological cultures, "a
model of the cultural revolution" and the development
of ways to destroy social realism. Humanism in the
spirit of enlightenment and modern literature have
come to the public's attention. If the “literature of
thoughts of the past” that replaced the “literature of
the scars” took the path of criticizing the cultural
revolution, in the 80s this topic was ignored. Young
authors began to turn to free creativity, to different
themes, not to a sad past. New styles began to flourish.
The work of writers such as Thomas Eliot, Virginia
Woolf, Norma Meyler, Donald Barthelm led to the
development of the Chinese avant-garde.
Features such as the disappearance of boundaries
between time and space, the real and imaginary
worlds, the "flow of consciousness", the addition of
folklore elements to the texts of works, the growth of
the supernatural began to be used effectively by
Chinese writers to re-evaluate reality. CCP Chairman Hu
Yaoban's call for "creative freedom" in 1984 paved the
way for writers' creative fantasies. In Chinese social
discourse, this period was called the "New Age of
Enlightenment." In the 80s, interest in Nietzsche's
philosophy,
Freud's
psychoanalysis,
Sartre's
existentialism increased. Their theory had a profound
effect on the worldview of Chinese writers and poets.
Many modernist and postmodernist works by Western
and Latin American writers, such as Proust (
“
In Search
of Lost Time”), Kafka, and Joyce (“Ulysses”), have
been translated in large numbers, and have inspired
Chinese writers to form new styles.
In December 1986, thousands of students took to the
streets of Beijing to demand reform. The slogan "Let
hundreds of flowers bloom, let hundreds of schools
compete" was on the agenda. Writers and poets who
had been forced to create due to the political situation
for many years now began to write their thoughts
openly. According to O. Ryabchenko, who studied this
period specifically, in previous years such a diversity of
genres and literary directions was not observed. The
scholar notes that during this period, three
generations of writers simultaneously created in the
field of literature. The first is the older generation born
before the 40s, the second is the middle generation
born in the 40s and 50s, and the third is the generation
of writers born in the early 50s and 60s [3]. Each
generation of writers has their own creative principle,
their own ideas, and their own approach to reality.
The older generation was committed to the ideas of
the revolution, and as the famous Chinese critic Wang
Men pointed out, this generation was responsible for
the future of the country's literature [4].
The middle generation was the artists who were exiled
to the villages during the years of the Cultural
Revolution, who, although somewhat abandoned
revolutionary ideas, still focused more on creating a
new system of values, understanding the essence of
Volume 02 Issue 05-2022
12
International Journal Of Literature And Languages
(ISSN
–
2771-2834)
VOLUME
02
I
SSUE
05
Pages:
10-15
SJIF
I
MPACT
FACTOR
(2021:
5.
705
)
(2022:
5.
705
)
OCLC
–
1121105677
METADATA
IF
–
5.914
Publisher:
Oscar Publishing Services
Servi
existence. The translation of Marquez's "Hundred
Years of Solitude" and the strong influence of this work
led to the emergence of "literature in search of roots"
in China. The founder of this line is
韩少功
(Hán
Sh
ǎ
ogōng) [5].
The writers of the third generation, on the other hand,
are in favor of an individual approach to the creative
process, a true expression of reality, raising the issue of
the tragedies of the cultural revolution and its impact
on the psyche and destiny of people. The main
principle of the creators of this period is the Truth.
In the works created in the mid-80s, the writers not
only described the horrors of the recent past of the
people, but also tried to analyze and observe the flaws
that still persist in the society that hinders the
development of the country. As a result, journalism
also developed rapidly. The "search for roots"
direction emerged. "Search for roots"
寻根文学
(xúngēn wénxué) is an important cultural direction,
and this concept has begun to be used in the sense of
a symbol of national cultural traditions. In literary
processes, too, it acquired a specific content. In
December 1984, the Council "New Age Literature:
Retrospective and Forecasting" was held in Hangzhou.
Among the council participants were writers and critics
of the younger and older generations. There were also
Han Shaogun, Li To, Zhen I, A Chen, Li Qingsi, who
belonged to the "educated youth". After the meeting,
its participants began to write articles one after
another, reflecting their views on the literature of
"search for roots"
寻根文学
(xúngēn wénxué). The
articles written included works such as Zhen Wanglun's
"My Roots," Li Hanyu's "Regulating My Roots," and A
Chen's "Culture Limits Humanity." Among them, Han
Shaogun in particular stands out for her activity in this
stream. Her article "Roots of Literature"
文学的根
was
accepted as a manifesto of this literary movement [6].
Han Shaogun said, “Literature has its roots, and the
roots of literature must go deep into the foundations
of traditional national culture. If the roots are not deep,
the leaves will not bloom,” she argues. All this paved
the way for the formation of the concept of "return to
the roots" literature.
In the literature, the development of this direction was
a peculiar necessity, because after the Cultural
Revolution, many writers realized the poverty and
backwardness of existing literature and actively sought
to take literature to a new level. In the process, they
considered it appropriate to refer to Western
literature, especially modernist literature, if necessary.
Having some understanding of Western literature,
however, they realized that neither copying from
Western writers nor mastering their school would still
help to create an original work of art. The various
opinions expressed in the critique of this process
coincided at one point: Chinese literature could
communicate with the world only if it was founded on
a broad cultural layer [7].
The direction of "search for roots" had a strong
influence on literature. Political ideology has
somewhat deviated from its critique of reality. The
creation of prose works accelerated. In prose, there
was a deep interest in the culture, customs and daily
life of different regions. The young writers from the
“Educated Youth” came across a very rich culture and
were amazed at its potential. The profound philosophy
reflected in the treatises on Confucianism, Taoism, and
Buddhism fascinated them. While Chinese national
traditions dominated the content, they were also
creatively influenced by the narrative style in the works
of Richard Flunker and Garcia Marquez.
In the language of prose, on the one hand, there was a
desire for purity and simplicity, and on the other hand,
Volume 02 Issue 05-2022
13
International Journal Of Literature And Languages
(ISSN
–
2771-2834)
VOLUME
02
I
SSUE
05
Pages:
10-15
SJIF
I
MPACT
FACTOR
(2021:
5.
705
)
(2022:
5.
705
)
OCLC
–
1121105677
METADATA
IF
–
5.914
Publisher:
Oscar Publishing Services
Servi
there was a desire for the Venyan language, rich in its
visual means. In the composition, structure and
narrative style of the works, there is an imitation of
ancient stories.
The main representatives of this direction are Dan
Yumei, Wang Zentsi, Zhang Zhengji, A Chen, Zheng I.
The main feature of the work of these writers is that
they made effective use of Chinese folk myths and
legends about goodness, beauty, kindness in their
works, emphasizing the authenticity of these sources
and their relevance to eternity.
The most common theme in the mid and late 80s was
“a return to the original concept of literature it
represents”. This, in turn, increased the role of
literature in the spiritual realm in the processes that
took place. It also demonstrated that in a sense it was
moving away from the field of enlightenment, and that
the topics raised in the literature were multifaceted.
They followed the principles of removing social
responsibility from literature, being skeptical of the
slogan "interference in human life", criticizing works
that promote social and political issues, and paying
more attention to literary styles and forms. It was
during this period that the idea of “poetry for poetry”
was born, and avant-garde prose was developed,
exploring the possibilities of language and storytelling.
As a result, the concept of "personal creativity" has
emerged in poetry and prose, and among poets and
writers there have been cases of abandonment of
major social and political issues.
Magazines founded at that time also played an
important role in the literary process of the 1980s. One
such publication is Today (founded on December 23,
1978 in Beijing), which features works by Shi Zhi, Man
Ke, Bei Dao, and Yan Li. The magazine focused on the
work of young poets, mainly members of the "new
artistic movement." The launch of the "Literary
Almanac" under the magazine gave ample opportunity
to popularize the works of writers and poets. However,
soon the magazine came under pressure and closed.
Women are almost non-existent among poets. We see
that women are more creative in prose.
The 80s and 90s in the history of Chinese literature are
characterized by a high level of development of
women’s literature. It should be noted that “from the
late 70s to the mid-80s, the country underwent a
profound cultural transformation, and women artists
took an active part in this cultural and linguistic
transformation” [8].
The influx of a large influx of female artists into prose
of literature is seen as a cultural phenomenon of the
1980s. During these years, Chen Xenja, Bin Xin, Liu Ying,
Lin Shuhua, Bai Wei, Lo Shu, Din Lin, Su Xuelin were the
main force of this movement. In the literature, the
proliferation of women’s names, first and foremost the
issue of women’s liberation, was put on the agenda as
a social problem. The reformers, who consisted mainly
of intellectuals, supported women in every way. There
is an important aspect that needs to be addressed
here. Writers who entered the literature in the early
1980s were not formed as a specific gender group.
Chinese critics, readers, and writers themselves argued
that there should be no difference between female
and male writers. After all, male and female writers
were equally active in "scar literature", "search for
roots" and other areas. The internal connection
between gender and creativity, the concept of
women’s creativity and women’s literature only began
to be promoted in the mid-1980s. The main reason for
this is that some writers began to raise the issue of
women in their works and began to express the views
of women [9] . It was during these years that women
artists themselves took the opposite approach to the
question of whether "women's literature" existed.
Volume 02 Issue 05-2022
14
International Journal Of Literature And Languages
(ISSN
–
2771-2834)
VOLUME
02
I
SSUE
05
Pages:
10-15
SJIF
I
MPACT
FACTOR
(2021:
5.
705
)
(2022:
5.
705
)
OCLC
–
1121105677
METADATA
IF
–
5.914
Publisher:
Oscar Publishing Services
Servi
Some writers did not want to emphasize their gender
identity, while denying the existence of “women’s
literature”. It seemed that belonging to "women's
literature" leads to a contempt for their creative
abilities. However, the entry of modern western
feminism into literature, the increasing creative
experience of women writers, led to a radical change
in the attitude of literary circles to the concept of
women’s literature.
Hun Zitsen points out that from a youth perspective,
female artists make up two categories [10]:
The first category includes those who entered the
literary scene in the 50s and 60s and earlier (Yang Jian,
Wei Jun, Tsung Pu, Zhen Min, Hong Tsunin) and middle-
aged writers who showed their activities after the
Cultural Revolution (Zhang Jie, Chen Jun, Day Qing , Lin
Li, Ho Da, Day Xouin, Han In, Chen Nayshan).
The second category consists of women artists (Wang
Ani, Zhu Lin, Tie Nin, Xu Xiaobin, Liu Sola, Di Yunmin,
Shu Tin, Zhang Kankan, Tsan Xue) who were included
in the "educated youth". These were mostly born in the
1950s and “sent to rural areas” during the Cultural
Revolution.
The work of these two categories of women not only
led to a qualitative change in "women's literature", but
also became an integral part of the history of literature
in the 80s.
CONCLUSION
In short, the late 1970s and early 1980s marked a new
stage in the history of the Chinese people. The
implementation of the "open door" policy in the
country led to significant changes in both the political
and cultural spheres. Reflecting the bitter experiences
of recent history, depression and insecurity, “scar
literature” and “literature of thoughts about the past”
were replaced by “literature for the search of roots”
aimed at assimilating positive and humane ideas from
the past. In the 80s of the twentieth century, three
writers and poets of the older, middle and younger
generations simultaneously created works in the field
of literature. The older and middle generations were
direct participants in the recent past and history of the
country, a generation of artists who experienced the
consequences of the "cultural revolution", and it was
their work that led to the development of "literature
for the search of roots." Young artists, on the other
hand, began to eagerly embrace the experiences of
world literature. A free approach to the artistic
interpretation of reality was observed in the work. The
translation of many works by Western and Latin
American writers, such as N. Meyler, Barges, F.Kafka,
J.Joys, M.Prust, T.Eliot and V.Vulf led to the influx of
consciousness, modernism and postmodernism
techniques into Chinese literature, and the
development of Chinese avant-garde literature. In the
80s of the twentieth century, a large group of women
artists entered the literature. As a result, this process
was perceived as a “cultural phenomenon”. Among
them were Zhang Tsze, Lin Li, Wang Ani, Zhu Lin, Tie
Nin, Xu Xiaobin, Liu Sola, Tsan Xue. The work of these
women not only led to a qualitative change in
"women's literature", but also became an integral part
of the history of literature in the 80s. From a genre
point of view, it has been observed that many genres
of novels, short stories and essays have been created
in women’s literature.
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Volume 02 Issue 05-2022
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VOLUME
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Pages:
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5.
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