Understanding the Nobel Laureate ‘Mo Yan’ Through His Fiction

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-62
Author(s):  
Nishant Kumar
Keyword(s):  
Rural Area ◽  
Communist Party ◽  
Chinese Literature ◽  
Nobel Laureate ◽  
Political Agenda ◽  
The Political ◽  
Mo Yan ◽  
Reform And Opening Up ◽  
Contemporary Chinese ◽  
Opening Up

One of the main characteristics of Contemporary Chinese Literature is that it has remained true to the time it represented. Although it has been used extensively to serve the political agenda of the Communist party on occasions, but it has managed to carry forward the idea of realism, which started to flourish during the May Fourth period. After the announcement of the policy of “Reform and Opening up” by Deng Xiaoping in the Post Mao period China, a brilliant story teller emerged from the rural area of Gaomi in Shandong province of China. This paper aims to understand the phenomena created by Mo Yan’s writings in contemporary period of Chinese literature. The paper initially has discussed the major trends in post-Mao period Chinese literature to provide the background for understanding the emergence of Mo Yan. The paper has tried to discuss the major trends in Mo Yan’s writings focusing on the fiction-world created by him in his novels. Then it has further analysed the characteristics of Mo Yan’s writings. Finally, through the analysis of available contents a conclusion has been drawn.

Thirty Years of Reform

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lily Chumley
Keyword(s):  
Social Context ◽  
Oral History ◽  
Fine Arts ◽  
Institutional History ◽  
Art Exhibitions ◽  
Thirtieth Anniversary ◽  
History Of ◽  
Reform And Opening Up ◽  
Contemporary Chinese ◽  
Opening Up

This chapter begins with an oral history of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, describing how the school changed over the course of gaigekaifang. Gaigekaifang is often referred to in English as “reform” (gaige), putting the stress on the structural adjustments that fomented change, while kaifang roughly means “opening up.” This institutional history is given a broader social context through interpretations of three art exhibitions commemorating the thirtieth anniversary of reform and opening up in 2008. These exhibitions offer perspectives on the legacies of socialism and the novelties of reform that are variously aligned with or critical of official state narratives, showing how contemporary Chinese dreamworlds contest with one another.

scholarly journals Structural changes and economic growth in China over the past 40 years of reform and opening-up

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-38
Author(s):  
Xiahui Liu
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Rural Area ◽  
Economic Structure ◽  
Structural Transformations ◽  
Chinese Economy ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Rural Industry ◽  
Main Engine ◽  
Reform And Opening Up ◽  
Opening Up

PurposeDuring the process of reform and opening-up, the structural transformations of the Chinese economy have two significant leaps forward and demonstrate a process of “rural area–industrialization (urban industry and rural industry)–urbanization” development powered by the main engine of economic growth.Design/methodology/approachThese two leaps forward resulted in transitions of economic structure in China. In the author’s view, structural transformations are closely related to China's economic reforms and can be divided into clear phases.FindingsThe structural transformations have two significant leaps forward and demonstrate a process of “rural area–industry (urban industry and rural industry)–urban area development” powered by the main engine of economic growth.Originality/valueThis paper reviews and summarizes the development and structural transformations in China’s economy over the last 40 years. The author believes that China’s economic miracle is accompanied by dramatic changes in its economic structure, which is particularly characterized by the ongoing process of transition from a traditional agricultural economy into a country with high industrial output, from industrialization into urbanization and from a planned economy into a market economy.

scholarly journals The state of contemporary art in China: tradition and postmodernism

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Chuang Dai
Keyword(s):  
Contemporary Art ◽  
Cultural Analysis ◽  
Substantial Part ◽  
Chinese Art ◽  
Semiotic Analysis ◽  
Philosophical Perspective ◽  
Reform And Opening Up ◽  
Artistic Heritage ◽  
Contemporary Chinese ◽  
Opening Up

This article is dedicated to examination of the phenomenon of contemporary Chinese art, its essential specificity within the framework of tradition and in the conditions of globalization. For achieving the set goal, the author applies the method of historical-cultural analysis in combination with the elements of structural-semiotic analysis of contemporary art in China of the late XX century. For historical and social reasons, contemporary art became a substantial part of the works of Chinese artists only after the “Reform and Opening-Up” in the 1980s. China was able to preserve tremendous artistic heritage, thus the contemporary art resembles a fusion of the tradition and postmodernism. The scientific novelty of this work consists in shifting away from art discourse in studying artistic material and concentrating on philosophical perspective. The conclusion is drawn that since the 1980s until the present China undergoes a drastic period of transformation of art from traditional to contemporary. The works of that time reflect such themes as the alienation of a modern person from tradition, change in experience of world perception, conflict between modern politics and society.

scholarly journals Between Sinology and Socialism: Collective Memory of Czech Sinologists in the 1950s

2015 ◽  
Vol 19 ◽  
pp. 116-133
Author(s):  
Ter-Hsing Cheng
Keyword(s):  
Collective Memory ◽  
Chinese Literature ◽  
The Other ◽  
The Political ◽  
International Affairs ◽  
Personal Factor ◽  
Overseas Students ◽  
The Social ◽  
The 1950S ◽  
Contemporary Chinese

This paper intends to explore the collective memory of Czech sinologists in the 1950s based on the political zone between sinology and socialism. Czech sinological development in the 1950s was grounded on the personal factor of Prusek and the socialist transformation of new China. Socialist China offers two possibilities for the development of sinology, the first for friendly relations among socialist countries, including overseas students, and the second for studies of contemporary Chinese literature. The developmental framework of Czech sinology in the 1950s, or the social framework of collective memory for the Czech sinologists should be understood in the region under the mutual penetration of sinology and socialist China. This paper, firstly, discusses the background framework of constructing the Czech sinologists in the 1950s— the link between new China and the other socialist countries, and the relation between Prusek and socialist China. Secondly, this paper will analyze Czech sinological experiences in the 1950s through Halbwachs’ theory of collective memory.Mongolian Journal of International Affairs Vol.19 2014: 116-133

From Gaomi to Nobel

2021 ◽  
Vol 89 (2) ◽  
pp. 261-282
Author(s):  
Jinquan Yu ◽  
Wenqian Zhang
Keyword(s):  
World Literature ◽  
Chinese Literature ◽  
Selection Process ◽  
Decisive Role ◽  
Nobel Laureate ◽  
Illustrative Case ◽  
Literary Field ◽  
Mo Yan ◽  
The Aesthetic ◽  
Illustrative Case Study

The global translation field is characterized by a core-periphery structure. The translation of Chinese literature into English falls into the category of translation flows from the periphery to the core. Combining Bourdieu’s field and capital with world literature studies, this article explores the factors impinging on the production, circulation and consecration of Chinese literature in the English literary field with the English translation of Nobel Laureate Mo Yan’s fiction as an illustrative case study. By so doing, the article shows that the logic of market dominant in the English publishing field plays a decisive role in the production and circulation of Chinese literature in the English world. The translation agents such as translators, publishers and editors act as gatekeepers in the selection process and facilitators in the consecration process. With the analysis of the case of Mo Yan, the article argues that the success and canonization of his fiction in the English world relies not only on the aesthetic and commercial stakes of its publishing context, but also on the promotion and consecration via the joint efforts of the English publishers, the editors, the literary agent and Howard Goldblatt who possess a multiplicity of capital in their own fields.

Three-fold Thinking on the Sinicization of Christianity

2015 ◽  
Vol 75 (5) ◽  
pp. 385-394
Author(s):  
Zhang Zhigang
Keyword(s):  
Social Practice ◽  
Chinese Culture ◽  
Religious Faith ◽  
Interreligious Dialogue ◽  
Chinese Society ◽  
New Developments ◽  
Christianity In China ◽  
Reform And Opening Up ◽  
Contemporary Chinese ◽  
Opening Up

Abstract This essay investigates the concept of »Sinicization of Christianity« from an »academic« standpoint, the goal being to discuss more objectively and rationally how Christianity may be able to meld into Chinese culture, the Chinese nation, and in particular, contemporary Chinese society. The investigation is presented in three parts: a comparison between the histories of Christianity in China and Korea, a study of the ecological situation of religions in contemporary China, and new developments in international research on interreligious dialogue. The article concludes that social practice should be the main criterion for testing religious faith, and that, based on China’s current conditions, the best course for the Sinicization of Christianity is to make positive and important contributions to continued reform and opening-up of Chinese society and to its development and progress.

scholarly journals Case Study of Howard Goldblatt’s Translation of Red Sorghum—From Media-translatology Perspective

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 1015
Author(s):  
Wensheng Deng
Keyword(s):  
Chinese Literature ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Literary Translation ◽  
Great Power ◽  
Universal Principle ◽  
Mo Yan ◽  
The Public ◽  
Image Structure ◽  
Opening Up

Since Mo Yan was given the Nobel Prize for Literature，literary translation has been heatedly debated. Howard Goldblatt, as one of Mo Yan’s major translators of English world, is gaining global eyes. And his translations are so popular that some scholars claim that Howard flatters MoYan himself, and he has rewritten Mo Yan. To make the debate known to the public, the thesis explores Howard’s translation of Red Sorghum, based on the perspective of Media-translatology. In the translation, Howard Goldblatt has made addition, subtraction, rearrangement, etc., in the translation. His changes and adjustments are quite different from the ST, but it retains the image, structure of the ST, and it adopts aesthetic fidelity, which is a universal principle in literary translation. Howard’s choice of MoYan is another reason to help him achieve success in translation for western readers are particularly interested in Mo Yan’s invention of genre, style, techniques and language. And what Howard’s action has coincided with the significant opening-up policy of China is also a great power to popularize his translation. Actually, Howard’s performance and practice are necessary steps to communicate culture in cross-cultural interactions, he is not only a communicator of Chinese literature, modern and contemporary, but also a constant contributor of world civilization and culture, for his new attribute in translation—a thirdness.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document