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From the “Local World” to the “Modern Nation”: “Great Changes in a Mountain Village” and the Maturation of Contemporary Chinese Rural Fiction

Author(s)

Jinghan Cui

Affiliation(s)

School of Liberal Arts, Renmin University of China, Beijing, China

Abstract

In the 1950s, Chinese rural literature underwent a significant transformation from “native soil novels” to “rural-themed novels”. Compared to rural-themed novels that prioritized localism, as exemplified by renowned authors like Sun Li and Zhao Shuli, the “Great Changes in a Mountain Village” by Zhou Libo presented a more pronounced tension between the “local world” and the modern nation-state. This not only positioned the novel as a pivotal work in the maturation of rural-themed fiction, but also endowed it with rich interpretive dimensions and cultural connotations. Zhou Libo’s skillful handling of the relationship between national identity and modernity made him a key figure in the development of rural-themed novels and enabled “Great Changes in a Mountain Village” to achieve a unique and timely artistic accomplishment.

Keywords

“Great Changes in a Mountain Village”; Rural-Themed Novels; Local World; Nation-State

References

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