Prominent Manifestations of National Thoughts in Development Characteristics of Literature in the Qing Dynasty〔*〕

Wang Chunyang

(1.Nanjing Normal University,Nanjing　Jiangsu　210097;2.Henan Cultural Industry Development Research Base　Nanyang Normal University,Nanyang　Henan　473061)



Prominent Manifestations of National Thoughts in Development Characteristics of Literature in the Qing Dynasty〔*〕

Wang Chunyang1,2

(1.Nanjing Normal University,NanjingJiangsu210097;2.Henan Cultural Industry Development Research BaseNanyang Normal University,NanyangHenan473061)

Ⅰ.Deepen the new national development thoughts of changing national oppression and autocracy

1.Highlight the national class struggle thoughts and reflect pursuit of social freedom in literature development

The concentrated expression of the national thoughts in the development characteristics of the literature in the early Qing Dynasty lies in dissatisfaction with the national class ruling thoughts,emphasizes the national equality,eulogizes the social status of equality and mutual benefit between the people of all nationalities and centrally reflects the psychology of pursuit of social freedom through literature.The basic situation of the historical and social development in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties shows direct social impact of eunuchs’ dictatorship on the social freedom and equal development,social class oppression,increasingly prominent struggle between the nationalities and people of all nationalities living in embattled and extremely miserable social environment.To this end,the literature in the early Qing Dynasty truly reflects the social development status and strongly represents the national unity development thoughts.In such social development environment,the literature development viewpoints of Huang Zongxi,Gu Yanwu and other ideologists and scholars are reflected and the pursuit of national freedom and equality is fully reflected in the literature thoughts.〔1〕It is the direction of critical thoughts of concentrated reflection formed by national thoughts in the overall development characteristics of the literature in the Qing Dynasty,adapts to the direction of pursuit of social freedom by all nationalities,fully reflects the mood of nationality,urges the literature in the Qing Dynasty to form thought directivity role for national development and forms critical literature thought driving force for development of all nationalities.

2.Establish the national voice of oppression opposition and express the idea of equality in the literary thought characteristics

National oppression is the fundamental phenomenon of social development in the Early Qing Dynasty,so the extreme discontent and high indignation are formed in the society and the literature development thoughts expressed in the literature mainly lie in the social equality of nation and classes.Therefore,the expression of the national thoughts is reflected in terms of social equality and class struggle elimination in the literature thoughts,providing solid literature thought power for striving for national class equality.It fundamentally reflects the national thoughts in the development characteristics of the literature in the Qing Dynasty,effectively reflects the equality and mutual benefit and joint development wish pursued by all social classes through literature and reflects the voice of all nationalities and classes of the society for social peace and equal development.〔2〕

3.Express the will of literature thoughts breaking free from feudal ties based on social class ruling status

The national oppression and ruling class in the early Qing Dynasty were affected by the political situation in the end of Ming Dynasty,the class oppression truly reflected the historical and social environment at that time and the people were in an abyss of suffering.To this end,the development characteristics of the literature in the early Qing Dynasty are themed by opposition to class oppression and fully express the mentality of yearn for peace,quality and freedom,in which,the national thoughts mainly lie in the level of breaking free from feudal ties.Chinese feudal society has sustained for thousands of years and the feudal autocratic rule is deep-rooted,so the wish of the people for breaking free from the feudal monarchy cannot be satisfied.〔3〕Based on this,the development characteristics of the literature in the early Qing Dynasty express the nation will at the culture level and strongly express the dissatisfaction with the class oppression brought by feudal dictatorship.The national thoughts are mainly embodied at the spirit level and the nation will in the literature thoughts is identical to the time and society development trends.

Ⅱ.Opposition to government cowardice is an important characteristic of national thoughts in the literature in the late Qing Dynasty

1.Emphasize the new concept of literature rejuvenation thought and express discontent with government cowardice

There is no lack of works effectively driving formation of the social national spirit in the literature in the Qing Dynasty and the national development ideas reflected lie in national rejuvenation,so as to reestablish the social esteem of the Chinese nation.Therefore,different classes in the society complained about the government performance everywhere and the national dignity existed in name only.At this historical stage,the literature development is concentrated on outcry of the great rejuvenation road of the Chinese nation,advocates close unity of all social grassroots people,provides powerful support of literature thoughts for national industry development,prompts improvement of the social status of the Chinese nation and provides important motivation to the development of literature thoughts for retrieving the national dignity.〔4〕In this period,Wu Jiaji,Yan Ermei and other literature writers proposed the social national development thoughts,popularized the new concept of literature rejuvenation thought,provided powerful thought acceleration for establishment of the national spirit,powerfully attacked the discontent in the government social behavior and performance,obtained wide praise from all classes of society and made outstanding contributions to establishing the social esteem of the Chinese nation,all of which are basic characteristics of the national thoughts mainly reflected by the literature thoughts at this historical development stage and maintain mutual unity with the social ideology.

2.Present the mood of discontent with national integrity of the government with the subject of literature thought driving role

In the middle and later periods of the Qing Dynasty,the world powers openly itched to try the Chinese nation and attempted to paralyze and carve up China obviously.The ideologists and sociologists made out this social development trend,comprehensively stimulated the national thoughts of national unity and united efforts to save the nation in the literature development characteristic and expressed the self-protection psychology for the Chinese nation through literature.Meanwhile,they openly contradicted the attitude of the government towards national integrity,opposed nonfeasance of the Qing government and negative attitude of letting development,so as to transform the development direction of national thoughts from the social class angle to social government behavior angle and highlight the national dignity of national thoughts in the literature development characteristics,consider the literature thoughts as an important development path to promote social national rejuvenation,provide a platform of literature thoughts for renaissance of the Chinese nation and provide a carrier of literature thoughts to enhance the national spirit.Under this social development trend,the emotion of discontent with the national integrity of the government in the literature thoughts conforms to the time and society development background and the national thoughts in the literature development characteristics can meet the basic thought needs of the time and society.

3.Reject the national dignity maintenance by government based on the propagation of the literature national thoughts

The ideologists and scholars in the Qing Dynasty generally recognized the foreign policy and social dominant ideology of the Qing Government,considered national unity in the literature development thoughts as the fundamental communication ideas,proposed strong appeal to establishment of the national united front and reflected the inevitable consequences of the Western powers to China’s colonial rule in the literature and the devastating blow to the Chinese nation.〔5〕On the basis of propaganda and development of the national thoughts,the ideologists and scholars rejected the national dignity maintenance by government,attacked the national dignity and national spirit under the governance of the Qing Dynasty in terms of literature and provided solid foundation of literature thoughts for the establishment of the development thoughts of national unified front and unity against foreign.It is one of important characteristics of the national thoughts in the literature in the late Qing Dynasty,reflects the promoting power provided by the literature thoughts for effective establishment of the national dignity and national spirit,generates powerful power of literature thoughts for China’s social development and becomes the leading ideological element transforming the social and historical development background at that time.

Ⅲ.Literature in the late Qing Dynasty highlights development breakthrough of national thoughts of anti-imperialist and patriotic thoughts

1.Highlight the national spirit in the literature thoughts and deeply express the anti-imperialist and patriotic thoughts

The analysis of the turbulent environment of social development in the late Qing Dynasty shows that the world powers partitioned China at all costs and trampled the social dignity of the Chinese nation to maximize the social benefits,resulting in substantial changes in the social nature of China.Meanwhile,the literature writers in the late Qing Dynasty realized the influence of the social development status on the society formed in China in the future,gave the national development thoughts as the priority among priorities in the literature development direction,deeply expressed the national spirit,awakened the Chinese people sunk in sleep under slavery status,put the national dignity and social righteous cause in the first place,formed the literature main ideas of national crisis and united efforts to save the nation,fully expressed the anti-imperialist and patriotic thoughts with this opportunity,maximized the social influence functions of the literature thoughts and deeply reflected the national spirit in the rewritten history and outstanding literature thoughts.〔6〕It is the important representation of deep exploration for national thoughts in the literature development viewpoints in the late Qing Dynasty and the literature thought motive force for inheritance of Chinese national spirit.The anti-imperialist and patriotic mood of nationality has been deepened to the greatest extent.

2.Form literature attack to the formation of the imperialism thought by means of national unity in the literature thoughts

In the environment of social instability,hard times and national crisis in the late Qing Dynasty,the national thoughts were found expression in national unity.The national spirit is subject to full expression with the literature development focus of resisting alien invasion and improving the national morale so as to effectively transform the social situation.However,the national development thoughts reflected in the literature thought characteristics were not widely responded in this social development background,mainly because the imperialist forces had laid the foundation in the Chinese society and the slavery psychology of all orders of society had been gradually formed.Therefore,the literature development characteristics in the late Qing Dynasty were also transformed and the anti- imperialism thought became an important embodiment of national thoughts in the literature characteristics.For imperialist power development,the national idea “Every man alive has a duty to his nation” was widely publicized and widely approved by the society.The national thoughts of the literature development characteristics in the late Qing Dynasty conformed the historical and social background.

3.Reflect the national dignity maintenance of the literature in the Qing Dynasty based on the literature thoughts of national presentation

Analysis of the social development background in the late Qing Dynasty shows that China was at the social history stage of power invasion and hard times at this period.Therefore,the literature development characteristics mainly reflect the anti-imperialist and patriotic mood and the national thoughts are found macro expression in the field of safeguarding the national dignity and national unity.The literature in the late Qing Dynasty directly shows that the literature writers were dissatisfied with the unconditional partition of China by the world powers,strongly condemned nonresistance of different classes in the society and called the different classes in the society to share a bitter hared of the enemy and safeguard the territorial integrity when embodying the national dignity,thereby fully reflecting the Chinese nation spirit.〔7〕The literature development characteristics reflect macro national thoughts,fully embody the threats to the national dignity around the current social situation,correctly guide the social psychology of safeguarding the national territorial integrity and Chinese national dignity,highlight the main direction of the national thoughts of the literature in the late Qing Dynasty,give full expression to the national spirit as the essence of development of national thoughts in the modern literature and lay a solid foundation of literature thoughts for promoting the Chinese nation to gradually walk towards the new stage of social development.As the main literature development thoughts for the Chinese nation to safeguard the social dignity and seek social respect,the literature development characteristics can elaborate the good wish of the Chinese literature thoughts for construction of a peaceful,friendly,equal and mutually beneficial environment and reflect the determination of the Chinese nation to safeguard the social dignity.

Ⅳ.Conclusion

In terms of the social influence of the literature,the expression of the national thoughts in the development characteristics of the literature in the Qing Dynasty is reflected in four aspects,i.e.anti-oppression,anti-feudalism,anti-imperialism and anti-colonialism.The national spirit presented at different historical and social stages is of certain unity and is to consider national dignity and national pursuit as the basic target,so as to concretely express the thought pursuit of the Chinese nation.Therefore,the spirit value presented by the national thoughts in the development characteristics of the literature in the Qing Dynasty is prominent and its social meaning and social connotation are deeper and promote the literature thoughts for the development of China’s modern and contemporary society.

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It is analyzed from the time and society development background that the social nature was subject to concrete changes in the early Qing Dynasty,middle and latter periods of Qing Dynasty and the late Qing Dynasty due to different China’s social development backgrounds,but the establishing target of the national thought subject in the literature development characteristics is not transferred.The revitalization of national development is considered as the fundamental to establish positive national spirit and directly safeguard and defend the national dignity,so that the literature in the Qing Dynasty becomes the cultural thought action force to promote developing and growing Chinese nation.

Literature in the Qing Dynasty;development characteristics;national thought;directional performance

About the author：Wang Chunyang,postdoctor at College of Liberal Arts,Nanjing Normal University,associate professor at Henan Cultural Industry Development Research Base,Nanyang Normal University.

〔*〕Phased objectives of financing scheme “research on Yan-Li School — with the center of Li Gong” for young core teachers in Henan institutions of higher education in 2012,project No.:2012GGJS-155.