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Reasons for the Transformation in Modern Chinese Autobiography

Abstract: At the turn of the 1930's, autobiography boomed in China and the transformation in the fashion of modernity in Chinese autobiography appeared. The reasons for the boom are attributed to the influence of autobiography modernity in the context of the contemporary trend "Western learning extending to the East." More importantly, however, the writing subject appeared as the self-manifesting ego. Also, the receiving subject of the autobiography was constructed therewith and was consciously promoted by publishing houses. As a result, modern Chinese autobiography formed distinct characters: emphasizing, largely, the importance of environment on the self; and celebrities writing autobiography. The complexity of the transformation reflects the specific historical context in which the heterogeneous genre was transplanted.


Key words: Chinese autobiography; modern transformation; self; celebrities; publisher

 

Huo Yuan (1968- ), Ph.D., is a Lecturer in Shaanxi University of Technology. His research interest is modern Chinese literature and culture. Recently he published The Knowledge Transformation and the Occurrence of New Literature (China Social Sciences Press, 2013) and “On the Background and Value of Hu Shi’s Lost Article” (Anhui History).