What is the definition and classification of Shanghai writers?

Shanghai school in literature refers to the "modern" Shanghai school, which is different from Yuanyang Butterfly School. It refers to a literary school that looks at Shanghai from the standpoint of modern urban civilization and commercial culture and tells the story of Shanghai in the tone of modern Shanghainese.

Shanghai novel writers are mainly composed of three parts:

First, Zhang Ziping, Zeng, (not Lin Yinhui of Beijing School) and other early Shanghai schools broke away from the May 4th literature and went to urban readers.

In the 1920s and 1930s, the novelists of New Sensation School, such as Mu Shiying, Liu Naou, Shi Zhecun, Black Hawk, Du Heng, Xu Xiacun and He Jin, were all the rage among Shanghai urban readers and were called the second generation Shanghai School.

Thirdly, Zhang Ailing, Su Qing, Xu Luan, Yu Qi, Anonymous and others emerged in the 1940s.

Initial characteristics

One is the tendency of secularization and commercialization. Early Shanghai novels were mainly commercialized, with the aim of making money. They tend to stay away from the mainstream literature that reflects real life by catering to the tastes of citizens, and simply describe the basic necessities of life of citizens, which is mediocre and secular.

Secondly, sex novels became the main creative tendency of early Shanghai writers. Shanghai writers' sex novels reflect the love and marriage of modern young people, show their pursuit of love and are full of democratic spirit. However, their love novels are mostly of low style, and in the process of pursuing love and happiness, they are often mixed with old ideas of chastity and humble possessiveness, and sometimes they are even shoddy and vulgar.

Third, pay attention to the innovation of novel form. Early Shanghai writers were able to skillfully use Xiao Changlai to speak my vernacular, paying attention to the description of sexual psychology, and some tried to change the narrative perspective with psychoanalysis, which showed the exploration spirit and vanguard of early Shanghai writers.