The Calm Before the Storm? Early Republican Classical Literature and the Making of Chinese Modernity
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China Perspectives 2019-2 | 2019 Mediating the Party-state, Serving the People: Mass and Grassroots organisations in XXIst Century China The Calm Before The Storm? Early Republican Classical Literature and the Making of Chinese Modernity Joachim Boittout Electronic version URL: http://journals.openedition.org/chinaperspectives/9206 DOI: 10.4000/chinaperspectives.9206 ISSN: 1996-4617 Publisher Centre d'étude français sur la Chine contemporaine Printed version Date of publication: 8 June 2019 Number of pages: 75-80 ISSN: 2070-3449 Electronic reference Joachim Boittout, « The Calm Before The Storm? », China Perspectives [Online], 2019-2 | 2019, Online since 10 June 2019, connection on 19 December 2020. URL : http://journals.openedition.org/ chinaperspectives/9206 ; DOI : https://doi.org/10.4000/chinaperspectives.9206 © All rights reserved Essay China perspectives The Calm Before The Storm? Early Republican Classical Literature and the Making of Chinese Modernity JOACHIM BOITTOUT ( 1 ) ABSTRACT: This article revisits intellectual and literary trends in the few years preceding the launch of the New Culture Movement. Focusing on translations of texts dating from 1912 to 1915, this study explores how a group of writers usually considered conservative ventured to ques- tion the reliance of the individual on political structures that underpinned the then prevailing intellectual framework. I argue that these texts competed through literary means and preceded the claim of self-awareness forcibly voiced by New Culture activists in 1915 by achieving what I call a turn to the intimate. Reassessing the necessity to translate these texts as we celebrate this year the centenary of May Fourth Movement, this approach seeks to resurrect the long-forgotten but thriving literary and intellectual context from which the New Culture Movement’s ideas sprouted. KEYWORDS: New Culture Movement, Minquanbao, turn to the intimate, Xu Zhenya, Wu Shuangre, Xu Tianxiao, translation. Toward a reassessment of Early Republican as New Culture’s activists. However, the point of such a re-evaluation is not public sphere: The “forgotten” 1910s to refashion literary history of the early Republican era as a necessary prece- dent for modern democratic enlightenment brought by Chen Duxiu and n the centenary of May Fourth and with some hindsight, this ar- others. By introducing a selection of literary publications of the early Re- ticle investigates what happened in the field of literary production publican era (1912-1916), I aim to show that, through completely different Oa couple of years before 1919. More than 20 years ago, David Der- formal means and not without contradictions, (5) a group of popular writers wei Wang’s seminal study on Late Qing popular fiction forcefully demon- and journalists endeavoured to scrutinise and reassess some dominant Con- strated that New Culture intellectuals’ radical agenda and redefinition of fucian values. Some of these values happened to be under heavy fire from traditional cultural values were rooted in what used to be a marginalised New Youth at the same time. They also ventured as far as questioning the literary tradition (Wang 1997). Ranging from chivalry novels to sentimental philosophical grounds of an autonomous self, torn between family duties fiction and including castigation novels about corrupt officialdom, the lit- and commitment to the Republic. It is worth noting that these writers relied erary production of the late nineteenth century did infuse the literary realm on the very classical literary means that were disparagingly dismissed by with political and social dissent that spread into the public sphere with the Chen Duxiu in the 1917 “Discourse on the Literary Revolution” (Geming help of burgeoning print capitalism in treaty port cities. (2) wenxue lun 文學革命論). Operating on a long-established horizon of ex- However, most literary histories fall short on accounting for the critical pectation in which classical forms and tropes matched both the tastes and years between the foundation of the Republic of China – the first republic the habits of a literate audience, early Republican writers made use of such in Asia – and 1919. The launching of New Youth and the “Call to the Youth” expectations and knowledge to frame their thoughts and increase their (Jinggao qingnian 敬告青年) of Chen Duxiu 陳獨秀 (1879-1942) has right- readership. May Fourth’s centenary thus seems a timely occasion to exam- fully attracted most of the scholarly attention. Nevertheless, one must not ine the diversity of the literary publications assertively challenged by New forget that the nature of the disruption resulting from the launch of the Culture activists (Wang 1999). This undertaking would enable us to under- New Culture Movement was actually less substantial than its proponents stand how some of the literati casted by New Culture activists as petty have claimed. In those days, New Culture’s propagandists found themselves mercantile writers and, for that matter, as callous and immoral writers (Feng competing with numerous newspapers, magazines, and journals as they 1996; Bärthlein 1999; Chen 2008: 53-6), did partake precociously in an were taking a leading role in the shaping of public opinion and the intellec- oblique inquiry on Chinese political modernity. And as they are yet to be tual agenda on political and cultural issues. As described in earlier studies, better known, this anniversary could also be the opportunity to share some New Youth was elitist in nature, and so were its competing popular literary of their – numerous – texts so that we can get a firmer grasp on their works. publications. (3) Therefore, New Youth, far from being the leading magazine of the day, was only one among other influential publications (Hockx 1. I am very grateful to Sebastian Veg for all his suggestions. (4) 2003), but this is in no way a negation of its seminal input to what can 2. On Chinese print capitalism and early newspapers, see Wagner (2007) and Reed (2004). roughly be labelled as “Chinese modernity.” 3. On popular literature of the 1910s and the 1920s, see Link (1981). This useful reminder urges us to reconsider the intellectual and literary 4. See also Wang Xiaoming’s seminal article on how New Youth successfully challenged the leading production context of its original release, as we might (re)discover that its position that prominent journals were enjoying in the field of cultural production (Wang 1999). See also Wang Hui (2013). competing publications were actually engaged in discussions that, for some 5. On the conservative aspects of Mandarin and Butterfly writers’ writing, see among others Lee of them, pertained to similar issues and even reached similar conclusions (2007). No.2019/2 • china perspectives 75 Essay It is based on these observations that I depart from Xu Jilin’s 許紀霖 defini- modern. This feature should remind us that radicalism – at least in a dis- tion of the Chinese public sphere, from which he excludes literary works. cursive form – stems from the late Qing and early Republican press. Con- Drawing on the Habermasian concept, Xu Jilin denies any critical ability to trary to what is often believed, the early Republican public arena witnessed non-politically related works. A clear-cut separation between what he de- many violent clashes between newspapers seeking hegemony in the field. (9) scribes as rational political essays and literary publications does not stand Elements of People’s Rights (Minquansu 民權素) ran from 1914 to 1917. in this context, as far as their political significance is concerned. As my close It was established after the demise of People’s Rights, shut down by Yuan reading of early 1910s newspapers reveals, short stories, novels, and virtually Shikai in January 1914 after months of struggling. Although a literary mag- uncountable short pieces published in literary supplements were embedded azine of serial novels and short stories, it also strived to keep on fighting in political discussions. Besides, many of these writers also worked as polit- Yuan’s power through humoristic short pieces and poems. Finally, The Grove ical journalists, and some of them even published “rational” and polemical of Novels (Xiaoshuocongbao 小說叢報) outlasted the two other publica- essays on a weekly basis in prominent newspapers. Thus, it does not seem tions, as it maintained publication from 1914 to 1919. This magazine is quite fair to deprive them of their role in the shaping of public opinion (Xu viewed – usually in a dismissive way – as the other stronghold of Butterfly 2011: 89-90; Fang 2001: 71). writers. It published many short stories composed in parallel prose, and con- Acting as leading figures of what was later ironically and scornfully la- tinued, even after the shutdown of People’s Rights, to tackle contemporary belled as the “Mandarin Ducks and Butterflies” group (Feng 1996: 176-81), issues. It serialised a fairly high number of war-related texts, mostly recount- Xu Zhenya 徐枕亞 (1889-1937), Wu Shuangre 吳雙熱 (1885-1934), Xu ing recent events such as the Taiping Rebellion (1850-1864) and the 1911 Tianxiao 徐天嘯 (1886-1941), Li Dingyi 李定夷 (1890-1963), and Liu Tieleng Wuchang Uprising, fostering an emotional collective memory of upheavals 劉鐵冷 (1881-1961) enjoyed tremendous success during that decade. Xu that were critical in reshaping the political order of China, however trau- Zhenya’s bestseller, Yulihun 玉梨魂 or The Jade Pear’s Spirit (1912), is re- matic they might have been. ported to be one of the – if not the – most printed