Keywords: Nobel win sparks discussion over Chinese literature
Nobel win sparks discussion over Chinese literature
Mo's winning caused nationwide discussions over the causes of his victory and the Chinese "Nobel complex".
The Xinhua News Agency opined in an opinion piece on October 14 that we need to bear a more mature mental attitude toward literature when celebrating Mo's success.
Mo's winning justifies years of effort from China's literary professionals, but China's literary development is not yet in its prime time, said the report, adding that we should neither underestimate ourselves nor magnify the achievements that China's modern literature has attained.
We only hope that Mo Yan's success could awaken Chinese nationals' long subsided passion for literature, the report continued.
The paper also held that the Nobel Prize in Literature was significant in offering people across the world the chance to know the difficult history of other nations through a literary approach. It stated that the essence of literature was experiencing the mentality of others.
As a result, the paper hoped for the possibility that Mo's award could attract more global attention about China's history and that Chinese literature could be more confident, mature and achieve more in future.
Southern Metropolis Daily carried a commentary on October 12, stating that the introduction of a swathe of Western academic and literary works to China in the 1980s enlightened China's modern and post-modern writers.
Thanks to the open environment, a batch of Chinese authors, who had both scintillating wit and a worldwide vision, symbolized by Mo Yan, emerged at that time, the report said, such as celebrated Chinese writer Yu Hua and the famous poets Bei Dao and Hai Zi.
These literal professionals overturned China's traditional literature that last for thousands of years by getting rid of the rigid logic of "writings for conveying reasons" or activating their passion for poems to express their ambition, said the report, adding that they also cared more about the individuals and the cogitation over the metaphysics.
The comment believed that Mo's success shows committee's recognition of the value of his works. However, it does not indicate that his writing techniques are more skillful. It is more because of the mental exchanges and studies between nations at that time, which eventually led to Mo' success and the enlightenment of China's authors.
The Global Times carried an editorial on October 12 that the award recognizes Mo's literary achievements and status. But, it wondered, could the decision also be a sign of the Nobel committee seeking to mitigate tensions with China after awarding the Peace Prize to imprisoned writer Liu Xiaobo in 2010?
The Literature Prize is not as direct as the science prizes. As China and the West have a delicate relationship, it's natural the award will touch our nerves whether a Chinese citizen is awarded the Nobel Prize or not, the comment said.
It continued to say that the prize indeed carries some significance. Chinese are granted more awards in non-science fields. This reflects the greater attention the West is paying to China. The Nobel Prize is closing the distance between the West and China in its own way.
"Mo is a mainstream Chinese writer. This suggests that the West doesn't only embrace individuals that are against the Chinese system. It cannot reject the Chinese mainstream for long. No matter what inspired the award this time, it is a welcome decision. We hope such appreciation of Chinese mainstream ideas can extend further." the editorial claimed.
Separately, the Beijing Youth Daily held on October 14 that Mo's winning of Nobel Prize in Literature proved that the prize itself is fundamentally a literary prize rather than a "political" one.
Its professionalism and authority as a top global literature prize should be respected and recognized, the piece continued.
Whether an author could take the prize mainly depends on his or her literary achievements rather than their political identity or tendency, said the report, adding that people could argue whether the laureate deserves the prize when it comes to his or her literary skills rather than his political identity or inclination, which is totally insignificant.
Both Mo Yan and the Nobel Prize have not changed; however, it seems that Chinese people's views of the Nobel Literature Prize have undergone some subtle changes after Mo took the prize, the report held.