| Abstract |
In The Source of Chinese New Literature, most of the critics believe that Zhou’s comment was a challenge to Hu Shih’s view on literary history. In fact, Zhou’s viewpoints was not only an attack to the insufficiency of Hu Shih’s views on literary history but also a feedback to Hu Shi’s academic criticism on him and his brother Lushun and their academic succession. Zhou’s underlying intention, he praised the concept of “expressing aspirations and feelings” and criticized the concept of “conveying Tao in article”, and advocated individuality and lyricism of late Ming essays, however, was to prevent the literary legacy of the May Fourth Movement from being appropriated as revolutionary propaganda by the Left-wing Association. In short, Zhou’s “searching for the sources and probing other possibilities” was a strategic discourse, as well as his academic interpretation to clarify the truth of literary development, to construct ideal National Language, to advocate late Ming essays, and hereby to defend the independence and dignity of literary tradition of May Fourth Movement. |
