Mao Dun

Mao Dun, (Chinese茅盾, actually Shen Dehong沈德鸿/沈德鸿; born July 4, 1896 in Wuzhen, Tongxiang County, Zhejiang Province; † 27 March 1981) was a Chinese writer, literary critic and journalist. His grave is next to a memorial museum in the village of Wuzhen Xizha.

To his pseudonym Shen Dehong decided because of the homophony with the word矛盾( máodùn, contradiction ) that he saw the 1920s as indicative of the contradictory revolutionary ideologies and the unstable conditions in China. Later, his friend Ye Shengtao changed the character from which his pseudonym was composed in order to save him from political persecution.

Life

Childhood and education

Shen Dehong was born in the district of Tongxiang. His father Shen Yongxi presented the curriculum for his son himself together and briefed him personally, but died when he was ten years old. His mother Chen Aizhu took over in the wake of these tasks. Shen Dehong developed an early age, a lot of interest for literary creation. His writing talent revealed itself in elementary school by his choice of words and his style in the tests.

During his school years in secondary schools Shen Dehong spent his spare time to the study of many classic novels that should greatly influence his own style and his literary conception, as well as stylistic exercises to perfection of its expression.

Finally he was accepted in 1913 by Peking University as part of a three -year course of Chinese and Western literature as a student, had to drop out before the final exams the study prematurely because of a financial hardship in the summer of 1916. Nevertheless enabled him the knowledge acquired in a rapid rise in the journalistic and literary scene.

Career as a journalist

After graduation, Mao Dun took his first job in the editing and translation department of the Shanghai branch of the Commercial Press newspaper. At 21, he took over the post of deputy chief editor of the student magazine Xuesheng Zazhi, directed by Commercial Press, appeared in the numerous articles on the new ideologies that spread at this time in China.

During this period, Mao Dun began to express his thoughts and criticisms on social developments in writing. To a certain degree he was influenced by ideas from the youth magazine New Youths, as two of his editorials for Xuesheng Zazhi in the years 1917 and 1918 show that stimulated the political consciousness of many young educated Chinese (Students and Society and The Students of 1918).

In 1920 he took over the column about new literary trends ( Xiaoshuo Xinchao ) in the literary monthly magazine for storytelling ( Xiaoshuo Yuebao ). In the same year he became chief editor of the magazine, and she underwent a fundamental reform in accordance with the principles of the so -called new cultural movement. His younger friends from the Beijing writer scene supported him by the magazine presented their latest works available, translations of Western literature, and their views on new literary theories and techniques.

On this background, a society was founded for the Study of Literature ( Wenxue Yanjiuhui ). The reform of the monthly magazine turned out to be a complete success, and facilitated the continuation of the New Cultural Movement by selling tens of thousands of issues, but more importantly, through the promotion of a new realistic approach in the consideration of Chinese Literature (Literature for Life ). During this period, Mao Dun has developed into a leading figure of the movement in the southern parts of China.

With regard to the reform of the content it came between the two wings of the editors of the Commercial Press, the innovation -oriented and the Conservatives, to reach agreement. 1923 Mao Dun resigned from his post as editor of the literary monthly magazine, was founded in 1927 but the main columnist for the magazine Minguo Yuebao. In this context, he wrote more than 30 editorials with sharp criticism of the policies Chiang Kai- shek and supportive words for the revolutionaries.

Political commitment

Inspired by the Russian October Revolution of 1917, Mao Dun involved in the movement of the fourth of May in China. In 1920 he joined the Communist community in Shanghai and worked fundamentally in the founding of the Communist Party ( CCP) in 1921. Initially he worked as a press officer for the party, besides, he wrote articles for the internal party newspaper.

At the same time, Mao Dun participated in the Northern Expedition, under Chiang Kai- shek in part (1926-1928), whose primary goal was the unification of the country, the troops left but when it came to the break between the Kuomintang and the Communists. In 1928, he fled to Japan and two years later joined on his return to China in the league left-wing writers. Ironically, Mao Dun was distinguished by his active commitment to the resistance movement, as 1937, the Japanese attack on China was carried out.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, Mao Dun took over the offices of the secretary of Chairman Mao Zedong and the Minister of Culture. During the Cultural Revolution, however, he was dismissed in 1964 and suffered reprisals. Then he was again editor of a children's magazine, and died 1981.

Work

The reform of the monthly magazine Xiaoshuo Yuebao was the first contribution to the development of Mao Dun's Chinese literature. As a result, the magazine as a forum for the exchange of modern literature and by famous writers, such as Lu Xun, Xu Dishan, Bing Xin and Ye Shengtao used to present new works. Soon, Mao Dun began to support these modern forms of literature and ideas. His goal was to promote Chinese literature worldwide.

The political struggles of the era expanded his literary horizons and the contents of a large part of his later writings are based on this theme. In 1930, he was fundamentally involved in the justification of the League of left-wing writers. Then he sat down at the Lu Xun's page for rights in society and the revolutionary movement as a literary movement. Most productive of his literary work was the period from 1927 to 1937 so it came in 1927 to the publication of his first novel disillusion. ; his most important work in this genre, Shanghai in the twilight, appeared in 1933. It is a novel in the naturalistic style in which the economic actors Shanghai are described in detail. In his stories members of the working class are always portrayed as sympathetic and touted the idea of ​​a revolution.

The influence of Mao Dun's on the Chinese literature is felt to this day. He called with his savings a foundation for the purpose of promoting literary creation into existence, the "Literary Foundation Mao Dun's ". Further evidence of the effect of Mao Dun's work in the field of promotion of literature can be seen in the celebration of his 50th birthday, to which more than 500 guests were invited from around the world. As a message of appreciation Wong Rufei wrote on behalf of the CCP on this occasion an essay that captures the essential fields influence and achievements of his work in the literary field.

On several occasions, he was appointed Chairman, or Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Arts and Literature of China selected. In old age, from disease symptoms, he wrote his memoirs, The path I trod.

At his request, to promote Communist literature and notable works, is also the introduction of a literary prize, the Mao Dun Prize, back. He was awarded renowned authors of modern literature such as Wei Wei, Liu Baiyu Zhou Keqin and.

Works

Mao Dun literary extensive work with over 100 publications ranging from the short story about stories, essays, plays, translations to work on literary theory.

Narratives:

  • Huan Mie ( Disillusion ) 1928 - Disillusion
  • San Ren Xing (Three People Walking ) 1931
  • Lin Jia Pu (The Shop of the lin Family) - The shop of the Lin family
  • Chun Chiji ( Spring Silkworms ) 1956 - silkworms in the spring; in: China tells Fischer Library, Frankfurt am Main 1964.
  • Qiu Shou ( Autumn Harvest ) - Autumnal harvest

Novels:

  • Hong ( Rainbow ) 1930 - Rainbow
  • Ziye ( Midnight ) 1933 - Shanghai in the twilight
  • Xian Gei Shiren Jie ( Giving to the poet Festival) 1946

Anthologies:

  • Mao Dun Jinzuo (The recent work of Mao Dun ) 1980
  • Mao Dun Lun Chuang Zuo (Mao Dun 's Comment on Creativity ) 1980

Essays:

  • Sulian Jianwenlu ( Travelling Diary of USSR ) 1948
  • Jitan Sulian ( Talks on USSR ) 1949

Drama:

  • Qing Ming Qian Hou (front and rear pure Brightness ) 1945 - Before and after the Qingming Festival

Translations:

  • Modern Drama: Russian Question 1946
  • Short novella Group 's Sons 1946
  • Stories: The little witch Reclam, Leipzig, 1959 ( translated by Johanna heart Feldt )
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