Literary problems during the War of Resistance as viewed from Yan’an : a study of the literature page of Liberation daily, May 16, 1941 to August 31, 1942

Chinese writers since May Fourth, 1919, have encountered many problems in their writing, some of which have been universal, some of which have been particular to China. The War of Resistance against Japan (1937-1945) presented further, more particular dilemmas for all modern Chinese writers regardless of political affiliation or geographic location. Urban writers sympathetic to the revolutionary cause of the Chinese Communist Party who went to the wartime capital of Yan'an met additional difficulties. While many of these problems were shared by writers in other areas, some arose from the unique geographical, political, and social environment of the base regions, i.e., the areas under Communist control. This thesis is a study of the problems for writers in Yan'an as reflected in literary issues and debates raised in the literature supplement "Wen Yi" of Liberation Daily (Jiefang Ribao), the CCP organ published in Yan'an from May 16, 1941 to March 27, 1947. The literary issues are examined over a period of fifteen months, from May, 1941 until August, 1942. They are viewed as backdrop and aftermath to the "Talks at the Yan'an Forum on Literature and Art" delivered by Mao Zedong in May of 1942. The "Talks" have functioned as the official CCP policy on literature and art since 1942. A detailed examination of the atmosphere in the Yan'an literary world leading up to May as well as a look at immediate reaction in the press to the literary directives will enhance our understanding of the "Talks" and help place them in proper historical context. It is hoped in the end that this thesis may show that many of the problems for writers discussed in the "Talks" in 1942 had already existed fox over twenty years prior to the May Forum. Therefore, one cannot merely blame CCP literary policies for the lack of outstanding literary creativity in modern China.Arts, Faculty ofAsian Studies, Department ofGraduat