Zhou Zuoren's Prose Artistic Style(3)

During the May Fourth New Culture Movement, Hu Shi and Chen Duxiu, the pioneers of the literary revolution, published articles such as Ruminations on Literary Improvement and Literary Revolution, declaring war on the old literature and advocating new literature. What is new in the new literature? Hu Shih emphasized in his article when he elaborated the theory of China's new literary movement, "We have only two central theories: one is that we want to establish a living literature, and the other is that we want to establish a human literature." [1] So far, "living literature" has become an important form of the pursuit of the new literary movement, and "human literature" has become an important part of its quest.

Hu Shih's view of human literature essentially refers to the innovation of literary content to focus on real people, writing "human literature". And the Zhou Zuoren, whom he admired as the most important manifesto on the reform of the content of literature at that time - The Literature of Man, also well corroborates this view. In fact, Zhou Zuoren created a series of works on the discovery of human beings, the value of human beings, and all kinds of thoughts on life and other reflections on "human `literature'".

Zhou Zuoren's article "The Literature of Man", published in 1918, put forward his view of "literature of man", and then published articles such as "Common People's Literature" and "Requirements for a New Literature", etc., which elaborated on his view. In addition, he deepened his view by describing the "human life" he saw in Shimura, Japan. This series of creations is enough to show that Zhou Zuoren's thinking about "human literature" was not a "thought-enlightenment" that came on the spur of the moment or ended at a certain point. From the conceptualization and revision to the implementation of this path, and even the final change of attitude, Zhou Zuoren has always been enlightened for the realization of "human life", and he has been constantly improving his own thinking and influencing others for the sake of "human literature".

Zhou Zuoren's view of "human literature"

What exactly is "human literature"? Zhou Zuoren's interpretation of this concept shows his insight and knowledge. "The new literature we should advocate now is simply 'human literature', and what should be rejected is non-human literature."[2] Zhou Zuoren's explanation of this concept shows his insight and knowledge. [2] Zhou Zuoren put forward this important concept in his article "Human Literature", and pointed out that "with this humanitarianism as the basis, for the problems of life to record the study of the text, it is called the literature of human beings." [3]

To understand the "literature of man", Zhou Zuoren believed that it was necessary to explore these aspects:

First, the interpretation of "man" in the literature of man. In his view, there are two main points: first, human beings have life instincts that are no different from those of other animals, and they should be satisfied. In this regard, he recognized the tradition of repression of human instincts in feudal society since ancient times, and tried to awaken the long-suppressed people of the country through literature. Secondly, human beings should have an inward life, so that their souls can reach a high state of peace. The ideal life of man, derived from this, must be a life that is consistent with the spirit and flesh, i.e., a life that is both materially and morally fulfilled and developed. With the concept of "human being", Zhou Zuoren broke the deformed concepts of feudal society for thousands of years and began to revolutionize the traditional understanding of people.

The second is the proposal of humanitarianism, which is mainly reflected in the improvement of human relations. The humanitarianism pursued by Zhou Zuoren is a kind of ideal life that does benefit oneself and others. "The humanitarianism that I am talking about is not the philanthropism that the world calls 'compassionate' or 'generous', but a kind of individualistic earthly essentialism." [4] This he wants to show is that man has to love others on the basis of learning to love himself. This assertion breaks down the collectivist notions of "sacrificing the little self to fulfill the big self" and frees man from all kinds of bondage.

The third point is the difference between "human literature" and "non-human literature", where "human literature" is about human life and non-human literature is about non-human life. The difference between "human literature" and "non-human literature" is that "human literature" is about human life, while non-human literature is about non-human life. Zhou Zuoren mentioned, for example, that almost all the writings from Confucianism and Taoism were unqualified. Zhou Zuoren mentioned, as an example, that almost all the writings from Confucianism and Taoism are unqualified, because they advocate a kind of non-human morality, which maintains the religion on the surface, but in fact suppresses the instincts of human life.

The greatest "newness" of the May Fourth New Culture Movement was the overthrow of the feudal system, the liberation of man from the old system, and the promotion of human awakening. Zhou Zuoren carried out the most daring innovation in his thinking about "human beings" and his creation of "human literature".

Three: From "Human Literature" to "Human Life"

The view of "human literature" that Zhou Zuoren tirelessly pursued was realized through his "Human Literature" concept. Carefully analyzing Zhou Zuoren's articles, we can see his endless thoughts and pursuit of "human literature", and hope that through "human literature", people will be awakened to a proper life, and ultimately realize "human life". and ultimately realize "human life". And through the creation of the "human literature" view of the grasp, can peep out of the "human life" of the realization of the path of thinking.

Firstly, the system and method practiced in Shin-mura in Japan helped to realize "human life". In his three essays, "A Visit to the New Village of Japan," written in 1919, "The Requirements of a New Literature," written in 1920, and "The Ideal and the Actual of the New Village," Zhou Zuoren successively and firmly expressed his expectations. He felt that he had felt "human life" for the first time when he experienced the new village in Japan. "Back in the city in the grass with the wheat rice, back to the apartment, although very sleepy, but the spirit is extremely pleasant, think more than thirty years have not gone through a full life, only half a day to be able to transcend the world of good and evil, slightly realize the happiness of 'human life'." [5] In the new village in Japan, Zhou Zuoren felt that everyone can do his best, each take what he needs, bitterness and happiness **** exist, and strengthened his ideal of "human literature", and he longed for the realization of such a life in Chinese society as well. In the "new village of ideal and actual" article, Zhou Zuoren is the ideal of human life to describe the specific nuances of the text, and once again put forward and the "literature of man" and the echo of personal essentialism: "the more thoroughly know love yourself, the more truly able to love themselves in others" [6]. It can be seen that in this period Zhou Zuoren on the individual, the relationship between human beings and other issues have been maintaining close attention and research, and the best way.

Secondly, through the "aristocratization of the common people", "superhumanization of mortals" to shape the real people, this is Zhou Zuoren from the common people and aristocrats to analyze the core of human literature, human life. During the New Culture Movement, Chen Duxiu proposed commoner and aristocrat literature in his essay "On Literary Revolution" and pointed out the need to advocate commoner literature. Zhou Zuoren's articles "Commoner's Literature" and "Nobleman's and Commoner's" were an extension of his view of "human literature". He believed that there are two important differences between commoner's literature and aristocratic literature, "Firstly, commoner's literature should be written in an ordinary style to record universal thoughts and facts; secondly, commoner's literature should be written in a sincere style to record sincere thoughts and facts."[7] Here, Zhou Zuoren advocated commoner's literature. [7] The universal and sincere here is to think in terms of ordinary people, normal people, and he believed that as long as it is "human literature," it should be universal and sincere. In 1922, Zhou Zuoren published the article Noble and Commoner, which changed the previous concept of distinguishing between commoners and nobles on the basis of the criteria of universality and sincerity, "The spirit of the commoner can be said to be the will to live as Shukuben Hao'er said, and the spirit of the nobles is what Nietzsche called the will to win."[8] And the spirit of the commoner is what Nietzsche called the will to win. [8] And here, Zhou Zuoren said, "I think that literature and art should be based on the spirit of the common people, and then baptized with the spirit of the nobility, and only then can we create the true literature of the people." Here, Zhou Zuoren thinks that "human literature" is best achieved by aristocratizing the common people and superhumanizing the mortals.

Whether elaborating on "human literature" from the instincts of human life, moral needs, or the realization of "human life" and the aristocratization of the common people, Zhou Zuoren has always transformed the insights he gained from his life and travels into ideological weapons, and contributed to the May Fourth New Culture Movement. Zhou Zuoren was always trying to turn the insights he gained from his life and travels into ideological weapons through his writings, in an effort to contribute to the May Fourth New Culture Movement, especially the awakening and emancipation of man. However, Zhou Zuoren soon questioned his slogan of "human literature". "He began to reflect on the utilitarianism contained in this slogan." [9], he argued that literature did not have to be about anything, it was just about expressing one's sentiments in an artistic way.

Fourth, Zhou Zuoren's view of "human literature" reveals

Zhou Zuoren's view of "human literature" had enlightening value and significance in the discovery and awakening of human beings in the May Fourth period. In today's world, from the perspective of modern intellectuals, it still has a certain revelatory significance.

First of all, Zhou Zuoren's idea of "human literature" does not worship any form, breaks the constraints of previous concepts, and creates a real human literature, which is undoubtedly a good inspiration for intellectuals to think. Zhou Zuoren was born in 1885, and was educated in traditional private schools, but he was able to break the pattern of traditional education in his mind in the early days of the New Culture Movement, and truly cared about women and children as well as human life, and put forward the slogan of "human literature" very early at that time, without worshipping any form, to create a true human literature. He also put forward the slogan of "human literature" very early at that time, and insisted on writing "human literature" in reforming the content of literature without being mesmerized by any form. The modern intellectuals in the era and society, the task carried by the different, but if you can be influenced by the "literature of man", put forward a favorable view of modern society, is also a major contribution.

Secondly, from the point of view of Zhou Zuoren's pursuit of the path of "human literature", his efforts in the previous period can be seen from the conception of the slogan, the evidence of his life experience, the addition of views, and then questioned, in order to arouse the awakening of the society. From this point of view, for intellectuals, the efforts and firmness made for any viewpoint, as long as it is genuinely beneficial to the society, even if it is disturbed by a number of factors, are all beneficial.

Zhou Zuoren's view of "human literature" during the May Fourth period not only provided a direction for the reform of literary content at that time, but also showed the way for intellectuals and contributed to the awakening of the general public. Even today, nearly a century later, it still influences and inspires many readers.