Recently I went to give lectures at a university in Qingdao,A classmate asked in class: Why are current literary studies so outdated,It seems that all the questions have been completed?This classmate’s question is actually very sharp,It is dissatisfaction with the critics in the literary research community,Also dissatisfied with us as teachers。Have you finished the question??Can our reading and research be more relevant to the times、Close to society,Try to open up a new world in the field of "literary life"?
Existing literary history,Most of them are limited to comments on writers’ works and literary phenomena,The materials used are generally the remarks of critics and reviewers,Rarely pay attention to the reactions of ordinary readers in society。In fact, the reaction of ordinary readers can best reflect the actual effect of the work,Exactly what a large number of ordinary readers accept,Constitutes the real social and literary life,It is natural to enter the field of reading。So,Production of works、Propagation,In particular, the reactions of ordinary readers should be included in the perspective of reading and research,Great significance。To put it more simply,Literature reading and research should pay attention to "people's livelihood" - the consumption of literature in the lives of ordinary people。In fact,Every contemporary ordinary person comes into contact with newspapers bet365 best casino gamesevery day、Internet、TV or other media,Even teaching、Tutoring children, etc.,You may have participated in literary life in some way, consciously or unconsciously。In this regard,We still lack theoretical consciousness,Little attention。Actually,The actual spread of literature and its impact on contemporary life,It is one of the cultural soft powers,Can’t ignore it。
There is currently an exploration of “reception aesthetics” in the academic community,Focus on studying the effects of readers’ reading and acceptance,But the results don’t seem to be outstanding。I have read some monographs on "Modern and Contemporary Literary Reception",Not doing well,The only recipients it faces are some critics、Literary historian,The so-called acceptance phenomenon is also comments and controversies,Rarely take into account the reactions of ordinary readers,and related social acceptance。The essence and method of "reception aesthetics",Of course it needs to be absorbed,But I think the horizons can be broadened a little more,Not just concerned with “acceptance” by critics,Pay more attention to the “acceptance” of ordinary readers,Such a “reception aesthetics” study,is complete。
Actually,We say we should pay attention to "literary life",What matters is not the reading personality of individual people,But the “natural reaction” of many readers,Is looking for common aspects that can constitute spiritual phenomena,Therefore, we must learn from the methods of sociology,Pay attention to literary happenings,Including literary production、Communication and consumption,The reading acceptance status of those "anonymous collectives" (ordinary readers),Then analyze the structural role that certain works or literary bet365 games best slotsphenomena play in social spiritual life。In this process,Investigation、Get data、Perform analysis、Facts speak,All essential content。In addition to the introduction of sociology,The study of "literary life" also needs to make use of communication studies、Psychology、Knowledge theory in anthropology and other fields。This is interdisciplinary research,Scholars from related disciplines can be invited to participate。For example, the design of questionnaire,How to obtain valid data,We also need to consult scholars in sociology。
Life is an endless source of reading。"Literary life" focuses on "facts"、"Literary Production"、"Literary Communication"、"mental structure"、"Acceptance of Behavior" etc.,These contents may generate many new topics,It can even expand new aspects of modern and contemporary literary research。For example,"Song of Youth" more than 40 years ago、"Red Rock" and other works have great influence,It even plays an important role in the spiritual growth of a generation,How did ordinary readers read and accept these works at that time?Remember when "Song of Youth" was published,I am in middle school,Everyone is eager to read,Can’t afford books,There are only a few books in the school library,So the teacher tore the novel apart,Post a few pages on the bulletin board every day,The students seemed to be watching a TV series,I squeeze in to read this novel every day。Our generation had such a "literary life" at that time。Novel such as "Song of Youth" was as popular among ordinary readers in the 1950s and 1960s,These works have had a huge impact on the spiritual structure of a generation,This "literary reception" and related "literary life",I’m afraid we can’t simply use some ideological “inquiry” bet365 online sports betting appto name it,Or do what is called "within the system,Political analysis outside the system is over。But now scholars study the revolutionary literature of the 1950s and 1960s,At most, it is to use some ready-made theory to explain the text,Even taking into account the acceptance of readers at the time (in fact, many of them are still comments by critics),That is also to prove a certain theory of predestination,Rarely focus on the reading state and spiritual transformation at that time,Does not care about the vivid "literary life"。We have reason to look forward to the kind of literary history that knows people and discusses the world,Can truly show the picture of the "literary life" that once existed。
Follow up on current literature,You shouldn’t just stare at the works of writers。For example,Now more than 2,000 novels are produced every year,China is now a “big country of novels”,But few people have investigated and analyzed the production of these novels、Sales、Propagation、Reading status。Who is reading the long article now?How those best-selling novels came out and caused effects?What are the basic reactions of ordinary readers to current novel creation?In what ways do these novels (including those with large circulations) mainly interest or concern contemporary readers?What are the differences from critics’ comments?What role does novels play in the spiritual life of ordinary readers?In fact, they are all worthy of study,It’s also an interesting topic。Contemporary "literary life" is really vast,Such as the "production" and "consumption" of contemporary poetry,"Han Han" phenomenon,Literature reading for migrant workers,Literary reading for urban white-collar workers,Readers of "Story Club","Harvest" bet365 online sports betting appreadership,Extracurricular reading for primary and secondary school students,Lu Xun、Literary acceptance of classic writers such as Zhang Ailing,Reader base of online literature,Literary penetration in advertising,etc.,Too many questions,Everything is worth doing,Also of great academic value。
Not just modern and contemporary literature,Ancient literature should also study "literary life"。For example, the form of "ci" was originally an ancient "pop song",This is contrary to the "poetry",Later, it was transformed from a work of actors to a work of scholar-bureaucrats,The form is constantly updated and changing,Readers’ “acceptance” also changes。The evolution of "word" can be combined with certain production、Explore communication and “acceptance behavior”。The contemporary “acceptance” of ancient literature is also “literary life”。Why do parents now let their children aged three to five read Li Bai、Wang Wei、Bai Juyi,And I will definitely not let you read Guo Moruo、Ai Qing or Mu Dan?What kind of psychological accumulation is there?The best and the worst of the “Four Great Classics” coexist,Spread in reality、Extremely wide reading,What impact does it have on contemporary moral concepts?These all involve "literary life",It is the proper meaning in literary research questions。Of course we cannot ask all scholars and critics to change their ways and study "literary life",But encourage some people to enter this field,Use different research methods than traditional ones,At least it will activate our research ideas that are imprisoned by the "academic school"。