Rebirth 2004: A lone figure in the literary world

Chapter 71 What do you know, Mr. Big?

In early July, the Advanced Research Program for Young and Middle-aged Writers of Lu Xun Academy held its first literary salon with the theme of “The Modernity of Lu Xun’s Works”.

Since Lu Academy is named after the great master, each advanced research class will have a related special activity, sometimes it is an expert lecture, sometimes it is a seminar, and the form chosen this time is a literary salon.

The literary salon was relatively relaxed. Everyone arranged the tables and chairs in the classroom so that they could sit around each other. There were fruit plates and tea on the tables, and there was really an atmosphere where everyone could speak freely.

However, although the format is relaxed, someone still has to take charge of the overall situation. The host of this salon is President Zhang of Lu Academy, and someone has been arranged to record the speeches.

This advanced research class will have an assessment at the end of July to select candidates who can enter the "Writer Graduate Class" of Yanshi University. Therefore, every concentrated discussion and literary salon will be recorded and become part of the assessment.

After all, 2004 was different from 1988. Most of the students in this advanced research class had undergraduate degrees, and some had master's degrees. Zhang Hongjie even had a doctorate in history, so the general demand for master's degrees was not as strong as that of the predecessors back then.

Moreover, studying for a master's degree requires two years of full-time work. Most of the students already have families and are the backbone of their units. Neither their families nor their careers allow them to have a two-year gap. Therefore, I am afraid that not many people will choose to study for a master's degree.

After a brief speech by the host, President Zhang, the college began a heated discussion.

First of all, regarding the definition of “modernity”, the students reached a consensus relatively quickly, believing that “modernity” here mainly refers to modernity in the field of art or literature, that is, aesthetic modernity.

Deconstructing grand narratives means flattening, trivializing, and de-deepening literary works. Modernism, avant-garde, decadence, kitsch, and postmodernism can all be included in modernity...

However, there are great differences of opinion regarding the modernity of the great master's works.

Many students think that some of Da's works, such as "Mei Jian Chi" (also known as "Sword Forging") and "Resurrection" in "New Stories", and "White Light" in "Call to Arms", have a certain degree of modernity, but overall, the framework of Da's works is still relatively traditional, and some of the irony and metaphors are too straightforward. Compared with his contemporary novelist Shi Zhecun, who can skillfully apply psychoanalysis and psychological analysis, it is obviously too conservative.

Some students even went further to criticize that the great master's works and ideas are outdated, that contemporary writers have better objects to learn from, and that they should even be completely abandoned.

Such remarks attracted many people's approval. Although some students also held opposing views, their voices were relatively small.

In fact, it is not surprising that there is such a situation as "sitting in Luyuan to oppose the great master". The decade from the late 20s to the early 80st century was a period of evolution of Chinese social thought. Questioning, opposing and even overthrowing the great master from all angles was one of the trends of thought.

Yu Hua later said in a speech that before he was 36, Mr. Da was the only writer he disliked. Later, for an adaptation project, he reread Mr. Da's novels and discovered his greatness - the line "Otherwise, why did the dog of the Zhao family look at me" in "Diary of a Madman" vividly portrayed the inner world of a mentally ill person.

After the speech, a Norwegian writer came over to shake hands with Yu Hua and said that his dislike for the great master was exactly the same as his dislike for Ibsen.

Zhang Chao was not very active in speaking at first, until the discussion became increasingly biased. He then used his clear voice to break the gloomy atmosphere in the classroom and said:
"Mr. Da's works are not only full of 'modern' characteristics, but also very inspiring for today's literary creation. First of all, I think the main feature of modernity is 'disenchantment', where people replace gods and become the center of the spiritual world - the worldview originally dominated by religion is replaced by different rational concepts in the fields of science, moral values ​​and aesthetics...

The great master's works are precisely helping the Chinese people to complete a process of demystification that is 300 years late.

"Blessing" and "Hometown" are about the disenchantment of the seemingly warm and affectionate clan relations under the feudal system; "Soap" and "White Light" are about the disenchantment of traditional Taoist ideals; "Running to the Moon", "Sorrowful Death" and "Happy Family" are about the disenchantment of traditional marriage and love relationships; "In the Restaurant" even disenchantment of the career that he was engaged in in the first half of his life. ……

The great master has said many times that he hopes his articles will soon perish. But because of their strong "modernity", they not only have not quickly perish, but have even become close to immortality. "

After he finished speaking, the whole classroom fell silent. Zhang Chao's speech may not have convinced them, but it undoubtedly provided a new perspective for them to think about.

But after a while, a harsh voice came from the crowd:

"What do you know about Lu Xun, little kid? What a joke!"

Everyone was in an uproar for a moment. Zhang Chao didn't even see who said it. He was about to speak up to refute it when suddenly a gentle and firm voice came from the door:
"He doesn't understand, so what about me? Do I understand, or do I not understand?"

Everyone looked towards the door and saw an old man with a round head, white hair and thick eyebrows standing there, looking at them with a smile.

Dean Zhang of Lu Academy was the first to react. He quickly stood up and ushered the old man to the host seat, saying, "Professor Qian, why didn't you tell me you were here?"

The person who came was Professor Qian Liqun of Yan University, a top scholar of modern and contemporary literature in China, and also a name that cannot be avoided when studying great masters.

After sitting down, Professor Qian Liqun apologized to everyone: "Dean Zhang originally asked me to host today's literary salon. But something happened at the school, so I had to be late. But being late also has its advantages. Standing at the door and listening to such a wonderful discussion, it was worth the trip. If I were the host today, maybe the effect would not be so good!"

Then he changed the topic and said, "I have listened to the views of both sides. I think it is not that the great master cannot be criticized, but when criticizing him, we cannot only look at it from the perspective of modern people.

Our ideas today did not come from nowhere. I was born in the 1930s and have lived through several eras and witnessed this kind of change. I think what Zhang Chao, this little kid, said hit the nail on the head…”

Qian Liqun talked for ten minutes, then took out a stack of printed manuscripts and asked the staff to distribute them to the students present.

When everyone took a look at it, they found that it was a very short article, not even enough to fit on one side of an A4 paper, and the title was "Lu Xun for Losers". A closer look at the author's name under the title - "Zhang Chao".

There was a sudden buzz of discussion in the classroom.

Qian Liqun said: "This is a college entrance examination essay written by a senior high school student this year, Zhang Chao, who is also a student in our advanced research class. He got full marks and was published in the newspaper. Although it is only more than 800 words, it inspired me. In the past, when people talked about the great master, they emphasized him as a 'warrior'; after his death, Ye Gongchao wrote about him as a 'non-warrior'; then Takeuchi proposed him as a 'repentant'...

Although this college entrance examination essay is short, it also provides a relatively novel perspective on the great master. I didn’t expect that there are still young people who read the great master in this way - my way is not alone, my way is not alone! "

Seeing that everyone was silent, Qian Liqun added: "Everyone is an experienced writer. But within an hour and 1 words, who can 'dissect' the great master to such a subtle level?
So even though he is a "little kid", he also understands the great master! Dean Zhang asked me to make a summary speech after the salon. I had prepared a manuscript, but after seeing this essay, I changed my mind. Today, I want to talk about something I have never talked about before, the theme is - "The failed great master and the great master's failure."

(End of this chapter)