A Literature of Reform, A Reform of Literature 1

This chapter is concerned with how the political, economic, and social reforms are reflected in the fiction, particularly novels, of the period. In the dozen years of the post-Mao era covered—1976 through 1988—literary production moved through several, generally discrete phases, identified by various thematic, stylistic, and socio-political terms and concepts. In the early 1980s, when reforms in agriculture, industry, science, and technology provided one of the dominant themes in fiction, the implied belief was that a combination of political orthodoxy and a strong will comprised the sole formula for success. Concurrent with revelations of external obstacles to reform is an increased emphasis on the internal struggles, contradictions, and inadequacies of reformers. In the 900-page sequel to New Star, Night and Day, Li Xiangnan leaves the countryside and goes to the capital, where his confidence in the process of reform and the moral certainty that underlies it are shaken by the corruption and lethargy he encounters.