对现实主义的反思

作为一种文学思潮的现实主义是现代性充分发展之后的产物,其精神内质表现为：深刻反省和无情批判现代性带来的社会灾难和人性堕落。从这一视点来思考五四文学,可以认定五四文学并不具有现实主义的本质定性,将之定性为现实主义是一种误读。中国现代文学史上真正趋近西方现实主义的创作,主要以老舍和茅盾的作品为代表。

Reflections on the Realism

As a thought of literature, realism is the result of full development of modernity. It is the core of realism to profoundly self-examine and relentlessly criticize the disasters in modern society and the depravity of human nature. From this point of view, the qualitative nature of realism can’t be found in the modern literature in the period of May 4 Movement. It is a misreading that the modern literature in the period of May 4th Movement is pinned own as realism. Works by Mao Dun and Lao She are close to the Western realist works as far as the history of modern Chinese literary history is concerned.