CONTEMPORARY CHINESE WRITERS AND LIAO ZHAI ZHI YI — USING THE EXAMPLE OF SUN LI, WANG ZENGQI AND GAO XIAOSHENG

Abstract

Since Mo Yan received the Nobel prize and also because he said many times that he considers Pu Songling his teacher, and he on more than one occasion reiterated that he was heavily influenced by Liao Zhai zhi yi, literary connections between Mo Yan and Pu Songling have been discussed by many literary scholars and critics. However, when it comes to contemporary literati, the scope of writers influenced by Liao Zhai zhi yi and those who revere this masterpiece is in no way limited by Mo Yan only. In such dimensions as literary style, approach to subject selection, character depiction and others, Liao Zhai zhi yi in one way or another exerted an influence over other writers. This paper deals with the influence exerted by Liao Zhai zhi yi on the linguistic consciousness, moral concepts and character depiction in contemporary Chinese literature, using Sun Li, Wang Zengqi and Gao Xiaosheng as examples. The clear and polished writing of Liao Zhai zhi yi, being exquisitely melodic throughout, the praise it gives to the persons who put morals and friendship before material possessions and are unwilling to forgo them even faced with the choice between life and death as well as the depiction of female characters — all of this served as an example and an inspiration for Sun Li, Wang Zengqi and Gao Xiaosheng.