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Both as an intermediary to Western culture and as a cultural force in itself, Japan had a significant impact on the development of modern Chinese literature. However, for the most part, the links of this Sino-Japanese literary relationship has only just begun to receive scholarly attention, making this book's exploration of Japan's role in shaping Chinese cultural modernity an important addition to the literature. By comparing and contrasting what appear to be similar narrative modes between the shishosetsu and work coming out of the Creation Society, Keaveney explores how Chinese writers both appropriated and reconceptualized this Japanese approach. By letting their work retain both self-referentiality and articulations of social concerns, the Chinese authors were able to make the form far more political than it ever was in the hands of Japanese writers.
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The Subversive Self in Modern Chinese Literature Comparative Perspectives on Modern Asia Quansheng Zhao, Series Editor Also in the series Navigating Sovereignty: World Politics Lost in China Chih-Yu Shih The Subversive Self in Modern Chinese Literature The Creation Society’s Reinvention of the Japanese SHISHÔSETSU Christopher T. Keaveney THE SUBVERSIVE SELF IN MODERN CHINESE LITERATURE © Christopher T. Keaveney, 2004. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. First published 2004 by PALGRAVE MACMILLAN™ 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010 and Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire, England RG21 6XS Companies and representatives throughout the world PALGRAVE MACMILLAN is the global academic imprint of the Palgrave Macmillan division of St. Martin’s Press, LLC and of Palgrave Macmillan Ltd. Macmillan® is a registered trademark in the United States, United Kingdom and other countries. Palgrave is a registered trademark in the European Union and other countries. ISBN 1–4039–6466–1 hardback Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Keaveney, Christopher T. The subversive self in modern Chinese literature : the Creation Society’s reinvention of the Japanese shishˆosetsu / by Christopher T. Keaveney. p. cm.—(Comparative perspectives on modern Asia series) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 1–4039–6466–1 1. Chinese literature—20th century—History and criticism. 2. Chinese literature—Japanese influences. 3. Chuang zao she. 4. Autobiographical fiction, Japanese—History and criticism. I. Title: Creation Society’s reinvention of the Japanese shishˆosetsu. II. Title. III. Series. PL2302.K43 2004 895.1⬘509—dc22 2003070736 A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Design by Newgen Imaging Systems (P) Ltd., Chennai, India. First edition: July, 2004 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Printed in the United States of America. To Shigeko, Bridget, and Erica, with all of my love This page intentionally left blank Contents A Note About Romanization ix Acknowledgments xi Introduction 1 1. Shishôsetsu Theory in Japan and the Creation Society’s Encounter with the Form 17 2. Creation Society Fiction and the Subjective Quality of May Fourth Literature 29 3. Bundan versus Wentan: The Dynamics of the Literary Coterie and Its Audience(s) 47 4. The Creation Society’s Remaking of the Shishôsetsu 67 5. The Limits of Subversion: Political and Social Critique in the Creation Society’s Early Fiction 89 6. The Legacy of the Shishôsetsu in Chinese Literature 113 Notes 135 Appendix A: Synopses of Selected Creation Society Stories