Chinese Literature

Chinese Narrative Literature

Omissions in the narrative

It is generally assumed that Japan is awash in high quality and well researched material on all aspects of contemporary China . Whereas this is certainly true for economics and trade , and there is an abundance of work done on Chinese politics , the lack of informed studies of Chinese culture is astounding (Jenifer Anderson , The Australian Journal of Chinese Affairs ,

. 200

When comparing the narrative texts with the actual notes of qualified historians at the time , one will realize that the same issue is

br presented from two opposite points of view . The author 's presentation of the event is dramatical and emotional , with elaborated s of psychological involvement , but lacking in chronologically correct data about culture and history

Most of these omissions have been committed by Chinese in an attempt to present their country as an enchanting land of mystery and drama and therefore neglected the historical truth . Another reason for the omissions is the fact that relevant paragraphs have been lost in translations from Chinese to English or other languages

Filling the gaps

For the romantic reader , the Chinese literature is the perfect lecture However , if the reader is in a constant search of the historical truth he might find himself at a loss as the Chinese books do not always present reality accurately

In for the reader to be able to understand China as it once was they need to search for original documents which reveal the blunt historical and cultural truth without literary figures . They ought to engage in discussions with specialized historians and complete solve the puzzle launched in literature . This may seem easier said than done , as emperor Li Si tried to destroy very nearly the whole of Chinese literature and so in effect to destroy the tradition 's moral basis and cultural continuity (New Dictionary of the History of Ideas , Volume 4 ,

. 1326

However , intellectuals of the time were willing to pay the price of their lives and safe their writings . As a direct consequence of their heroic bravery , the nowadays reader has the rare , but yet existent opportunity of finding the truth between the lines of Chinese literature

Thematic ambiguities

The Chinese literature is characterized by the same features that represent all communist literatures . They are supposed to reveal an enchanted world , an exaggerated depiction of perfection and human social and political harmony . Far from these , the inhabitants of China were suffering tremendous oppressions under their autocratic rulers , but were not allowed to describe them in their writings . The literary works had to present far fetched data to praise the governance of the country and its merciful ' emperor

To a trained eye , the Chinese writing seems an unreal presentation of the country . It is highly obvious that the authors were forced into creating a denatured image of China , which in fact was nothing else that a promotion of communism at national and international scale

Similar omissions in poetry

The Chinese poetry is mostly...