Name
Name of Professor
Class
Date
Chinese Literature of 1980
Introduction
Literature is recognised as one important domain to understand the different perspectives of any society that appears in the form of social, cultural, economic, or political change. When it comes to the deep exploration of the experimental fiction of China in the particular era of the 1980s then memory, time, historical perspective, and subjectivity are the major aspects of consideration. It is established that authors particularly utilised these motifs to convey their arguments in the form of literature. Detailed consideration of the specific time period of 1980 for the Chinese literature is essential to successfully identify different distinct features of the fiction in proper contextual form. It is worthy to mention that Ge Fei recognised as one of the great representatives of the specific era of reforms for Chinese literature. It is observed that he greatly utilise the approach of collective memory in the form of individual consciousness as the major paradigm of meta-fiction. The dialectic fictional work presented by Ge Fei encouraged to critically figure out the different dimensions of the reforms of that specific time. Here the main focus is to critically examine the literary work of Ge Fei to make better inferences about the intellectual, cultural, and political context of the specific time of reforms for the Chinese literature.
Discussion
Detailed examination of different motifs of meta-fiction helps to formulate a better understanding of the literary work of Ge Fei. The focus of the critical analysis about the work of Ge Fei to critically illustrate how the literary functions used by Ge Fei are less ‘postmodern”. Hence the motifs of meta-fiction established the domain of conflict of the modern literature considering a particular form of assumption. The complexity of language used as the crucial indicator to define the crucial social perspectives relevant to the particular time period. Thorough understanding of the fictional work of Ge-Fei demands to explore the actual problem or issue addressed by the author in the form of examination of different motifs of meta-fiction. The critic of the literary work of Ge-Fei and other authors of the particular era come up with the opinion that the entire narrative is mostly established as the origin of the self-consciousness and paradigm of change that is closely relevant to the domain of postmodern era of Chinese literature ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"XBmJgknE","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Chang and Zhang)","plainCitation":"(Chang and Zhang)","dontUpdate":true,"noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":2000,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/lMSdZ3dY/items/YG9KPVKB"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/lMSdZ3dY/items/YG9KPVKB"],"itemData":{"id":2000,"type":"book","title":"Chinese Modernism in the Era of Reforms: Cultural Fever, Avant-garde Fiction, and the New Chinese Cinema","publisher":"Duke University Press","URL":"https://books.google.com.pk/books?id=t2sHCVuJ_gwC","ISBN":"978-0-8223-1846-0","author":[{"family":"Chang","given":"H."},{"family":"Zhang","given":"X."}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["1997"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Chang and Zhang, p. 175). The main issue in the form of motifs of meta-fiction was considered by the author that the overall work of Ge-Fei can never be considered as the perspective of “free play of language” rather it can be characterised as the semiotic shield that ensures the proper use of the literary elements of time, memory, and history. This main focus of consideration of these aspects to illustrate the changing aspects of society by forming its connection with the important aspect of the self-consciousness ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"huWzRHL4","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Chang and Zhang)","plainCitation":"(Chang and Zhang)","dontUpdate":true,"noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":2000,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/lMSdZ3dY/items/YG9KPVKB"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/lMSdZ3dY/items/YG9KPVKB"],"itemData":{"id":2000,"type":"book","title":"Chinese Modernism in the Era of Reforms: Cultural Fever, Avant-garde Fiction, and the New Chinese Cinema","publisher":"Duke University Press","URL":"https://books.google.com.pk/books?id=t2sHCVuJ_gwC","ISBN":"978-0-8223-1846-0","author":[{"family":"Chang","given":"H."},{"family":"Zhang","given":"X."}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["1997"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Chang and Zhang, p. 165). This form of consideration can closely observe from the keen examination of different works of literature presented by Ge-Fei. His works present clear examples to consider the proper utilisation of different literary devices to indicate the approach of Chinese modernism concerning the idea of reforms. It is critical to indicate that the critic of literature presented examples of the different work of Ge-Fei to comprehensively describe the issue that how the entire narrative work is the good source of using the features of time, memory, and history. The work of literature in the form of short stories presented by Ge Fei during the time period of 1986 and 1989 clearly indicate his inclination of using memory and individual thoughts to present the main idea. Both the domains of memory and individual perspective of the author established as the basic elements of meta-fiction that helps to construct the main argument in the form of literature.
Clear identification of the main argument or central claim established by the author is mandatory to identify the actual perspective of the entire piece of literature. This form of exploration further assists to find out the relevant aspects of consideration. Detailed examination of the different prospects of this form of critique helps to find out the actual idea of the entire perspective. The main argument presented by the author examines in the form that there were significant motifs of meta-fiction that were used by the Ge Fei to indicate the various domains of the era of reform in case of Chinese literature. The author comes up with the claim that how the proper use of the aspects of time, memory, and history create the difference from the conventional paradigm of the postmodern form of Chinese literature. Author provided various exampled to define the accuracy of his main claim specifically considering the feature of self-consciousness as the main great form of meta-fiction. The main focus is observed as the exploration of the main aspects of the reform of Chinese literature. These particular elements recognised as the consideration of memory, time, self-consciousness, and the approach of history. The critic comes up with the opinion that the authors of the particular time period of the 1980s used these literary factors to convey their main themes of work of literature. Different short stories created by Ge Fei are great examples to successfully justify this certain claim presented by the author. It is established that the entire perspective of the era of reform for Chinese literature can never be considered complete without considering the active involvement of the main factors of meta-fiction. The author of this particular reading presented the examples of using the active construct of names, images, and stories in the form of self-portrayal to indicate about the consideration of memory and individual domain as the main functions of meta-fiction. It is established that the authors of the particular time period of reform for Chinese literature use their paradigm of individual reality to build a connection with social change.
Exploration of the particular assumptions set by the author is essential to evaluate the actual effectiveness of the main claim of the text. It is established that the author developed some critical forms of assumptions to testify the main argument or the central idea of the reading. Comprehensive understanding of the entire form of the text reveals that the author developed particular assumptions to make better inferences about the use of different motifs of meta-fiction by Ge Fei and other authors during the time period of reform of Chinese literary world ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"vPvvzqQP","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Chang and Zhang)","plainCitation":"(Chang and Zhang)","dontUpdate":true,"noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":2000,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/lMSdZ3dY/items/YG9KPVKB"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/lMSdZ3dY/items/YG9KPVKB"],"itemData":{"id":2000,"type":"book","title":"Chinese Modernism in the Era of Reforms: Cultural Fever, Avant-garde Fiction, and the New Chinese Cinema","publisher":"Duke University Press","URL":"https://books.google.com.pk/books?id=t2sHCVuJ_gwC","ISBN":"978-0-8223-1846-0","author":[{"family":"Chang","given":"H."},{"family":"Zhang","given":"X."}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["1997"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Chang and Zhang, p. 164). There were two main questions that were the main aspect of consideration for the author in the form of basic assumptions of this reading. One of the main assumptions recognised as the consideration of the association of avant-garde fiction to the entire perspective of modern Chinese literature in the form of heritage after the time period of the vernacular revolution. This specific assumption or question was crafted by the author to identify the differences that prevail in the form of two different time periods of Chinese literature. It is the perspective of comparison used by the author to identify the existing differences particularly in the form of main elements of meta-fiction during the phase of postmodern for the Chinese works of literature. The second assumption also has a major contribution to the entire form of development of the argument about the use of particular elements of meta-fiction in the case of Chinese literature. Consideration of socio-empirical and narrative of communicability is another major assumption set for this reading to critically determine the approach of the modernism for the Chinese literature. The author of this particular reading come up with the opinion that it is essential to examine the influence of the use of motifs of meta-fiction on the overall form of Chinese literature specifically in the time period of postmodernism. Particular reading specifically in the form of short stories of Ge Fei was selected by the author to effectively examine the actual positioning of Chinese literature during the phase of reform. It is claimed by the researcher that the role of particular aspects of meta-fiction is critical to established better inferences about the approach of Chinese literature during the period of postmodernism. It is argued by the author that the features of memory, history, and individual subjectivity were mainly used by the Chinese authors to define the overall implications of change appeared in the society during the time period of the 1980s.
It is necessary to consider the particular evidence provided by the author to strongly illustrate the main argument to the audience. Various literary works of Ge Fei in the form of short stories to provide the main evidence of the use of motifs of meta-fiction. Detailed consideration of this evidence helps to evaluate the actual significance of the claim presented by the author. The short story of “Recollection of Mr Wuyou” by Ge Fei presented by the author as the first major form of evidence about the entire domain of postmodernism for the Chinese literature. The practical perspective of the police investigation was established as the main event to define the actions of different characters in this piece of literature ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"4Jd7KQMI","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Chang and Zhang)","plainCitation":"(Chang and Zhang)","dontUpdate":true,"noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":2000,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/lMSdZ3dY/items/YG9KPVKB"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/lMSdZ3dY/items/YG9KPVKB"],"itemData":{"id":2000,"type":"book","title":"Chinese Modernism in the Era of Reforms: Cultural Fever, Avant-garde Fiction, and the New Chinese Cinema","publisher":"Duke University Press","URL":"https://books.google.com.pk/books?id=t2sHCVuJ_gwC","ISBN":"978-0-8223-1846-0","author":[{"family":"Chang","given":"H."},{"family":"Zhang","given":"X."}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["1997"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Chang and Zhang, p. 164). The entire form of the story used as an effective option to depict the element of change appeared in the society of China. It is important to indicate that the idea of defining different social events is utilised by Ge Fei to present the overall social structure and the temptations of society to the readers. The factor of self-identity is used as the major aspect of the meta-fiction to explain the actual positioning of Chinese society during the time period of change. The critic of the work of Ge Fei presented evidence that the laborious procedure of expansion is the major aspect of consideration utilised by the author in the form of the short story. The overall formulation of the images reveals that the narrator never plays its role as the impartial entity concerning the overall approach of imagery in case of the short story presented by Ge Fei. The gradual development of the narrator in the story clearly revealed the active consideration of self-consciousness in the form of an important element of meta-fiction. Another crucial evidence presented by the author is that the perspective of meta-fiction gives the authority to consider the approach of symbolism by ensuring its strong connection with the actual reality ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"lRZRGTvZ","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Chang and Zhang)","plainCitation":"(Chang and Zhang)","dontUpdate":true,"noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":2000,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/lMSdZ3dY/items/YG9KPVKB"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/lMSdZ3dY/items/YG9KPVKB"],"itemData":{"id":2000,"type":"book","title":"Chinese Modernism in the Era of Reforms: Cultural Fever, Avant-garde Fiction, and the New Chinese Cinema","publisher":"Duke University Press","URL":"https://books.google.com.pk/books?id=t2sHCVuJ_gwC","ISBN":"978-0-8223-1846-0","author":[{"family":"Chang","given":"H."},{"family":"Zhang","given":"X."}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["1997"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Chang and Zhang, p. 165). This particular literary technique also used by Ge Fei to present the development of the characters in his stories. The supplication of myth is another major evidence used by the author to define the approach of meta-fiction in case of the postmodern era of change for the Chinese literature. It is argued by the author that the device of myth was considered as the major strategy by the authors to present the overall backwardness of the Chinese society by considering its connection with the factor of aesthetic modernity. The features of culture or the overall civilization considered by the meta-fiction authors as the ineffective forms of satire and allegory.
A literary analysis of any text can never be claimed as complete without considering the major strengths and weaknesses of the reading. The considered readings also come up with some form of strengths and areas of improvement. The major aspect of strength related to this specific text is that the author identifies different aspects of meta-fictions used by the Ge Fei in his short stories. This form of consideration eventually helps to determine the actual implications of the various motifs of meta-fiction. Another positive perspective about this reading is that it encourages readers to explore particular elements in the considered short stories that present the relevance with the phenomenon of self-consciousness. Detailed examination of the different events and actions of characters in the stories reveals that these aspects are the clear indication of the personal thoughts of the author. A thorough examination of the development of the characters in the stories reveals about the complexity of human nature and development that ultimately appeared in the form of their actions. This particular argument is one of the strong aspects of the self-consciousness considered by the author to explain the different motifs of meta-fiction. The major weakness involves in the overall process of literary analysis of the features of meta-fiction in case of Chinese literature is that it only focus the narrative of the self-conscious that appeared in the form of thoughts and actions of the characters in the stories. There are many different domains of the individual personality that are not covered by the author in this form of literary analysis.
Identification of the counterarguments of the text is also essential to evaluate the actual significance of the work of literary analysis. The counter prospect identifies in the form of free use of the language considering the time period of postmodern specifically for the society of China. The writing style of Ge Fei was particularly examined in the form of presenting a connection between the approach of social-consciousness and the use of particular motifs of meta-fiction. The domain of the identification of the basic aspects of the postmodern phase for Chinese literature is the counter form of consideration. Consideration of the different elements of the other techniques of the fiction can establish as the possible form of counterpart argument against the feature of self-conscious appeared in case of meta-fiction. It is important to critically analyse the Chinese literature of the 1980s by considering certain forms of literature other than meta-fiction. The detailed analysis of the text can never rank complete without the identification of the interesting arguments concerning the domains of the social and cultural contexts ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"tvRLsAhb","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Chang and Zhang)","plainCitation":"(Chang and Zhang)","dontUpdate":true,"noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":2000,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/lMSdZ3dY/items/YG9KPVKB"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/lMSdZ3dY/items/YG9KPVKB"],"itemData":{"id":2000,"type":"book","title":"Chinese Modernism in the Era of Reforms: Cultural Fever, Avant-garde Fiction, and the New Chinese Cinema","publisher":"Duke University Press","URL":"https://books.google.com.pk/books?id=t2sHCVuJ_gwC","ISBN":"978-0-8223-1846-0","author":[{"family":"Chang","given":"H."},{"family":"Zhang","given":"X."}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["1997"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Chang and Zhang, p. 173). It is revealed that consideration and depiction of the personal thoughts of the characters in the form of events in the story help to determine about the actual thoughts of the author. This form of consideration allows defining the actual form of self-consciousness through the proper utilisation of various elements of meta-fiction.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, it is important to indicate that the consideration of the specific aspects of memory, history, and self-consciousness is one suitable form of consideration to better explain the influence of change on the Chinese literature. It is interesting to examine how the personal development and opinions of the characters related to the domain of change in Chinese society appeared in the form of the era of postmodernisation. The literary work of Ge Fei significantly helps to explore the perspective of self-consciousness in the form of active use of various motifs of meta-fiction. It is one important idea to establish how the idea of self-consciousness is closely relevant to the social and cultural context of society when it comes to the examination of the impact of change.
Work Cited
ADDIN ZOTERO_BIBL {"uncited":[],"omitted":[],"custom":[]} CSL_BIBLIOGRAPHY Chang, H., and X. Zhang. Chinese Modernism in the Era of Reforms: Cultural Fever, Avant-Garde Fiction, and the New Chinese Cinema. Duke University Press, 1997, https://books.google.com/books?id=t2sHCVuJ_gwC.
