Man in the Middle vs. Ideal Hero: literary policy in PRC in 1961–1976

Abstract

The present article examines the policy of the Chinese Communist Party related to a character portrayal in Chinese literature from 1961 to 1976, as well as the literary polemic that shows the views of writers and critics on composing literary plots and protagonists. Chinese literature and art of this period can be characterized by opposition of two lines. The representatives of the first one suggested depicting protagonists that resembled real people in the real life, so called men in the middle between progressive heroes and retrogrades. The writers called for portraying the evolution of such characters, gradual formation of their worldview and moral values. The calls for “writing the truth” contrasted with the official policy whose adherents stood up for ideal and heroic characters that were firm and steady in taking decisions aiming at serving the interests of the masses. The literary discussions of early 1960s were soon dismissed and the theories of portraying men in the middle and writing the truth could not be widely adopted. The political criterion gradually became the only one in literature. During the Cultural Revolution literary life of China was represented by ten model revolutionary plays, and the variety of protagonists was reduced to ideal heroes that derived inspiration and wisdom merely out of Mao Zedong’s works. The writers were told to glorify positive characters — “heroes of Mao’s era”, idealize the present-day life of China, and particularly the results of the Cultural Revolution. Professional writers were replaced by amateur artists, representatives of workers, peasants, and soldiers. Eventually low-standard stories with two-dimensional characters and stereotyped plots prevailed in Chinese literature of the middle 1970s.

Keywords:

Chinese literature, literary policy, literary character, men in the middle, CPC