Abstract

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Title:: Expansion of “Revolutionary Literature”: Popularization of Revolutionary Literature and Its Road Choice

Keywords:: revolutionary literature; movement of popular literature and art; value orientation

Abstract:: The value orientation of the New Culture Movement was to construct a new type of citizenship by means of enlightenment. With the implementation of the policy of “Popularization of Literature and Art”, literary Chinese language was largely replaced by written vernacular Chinese in written works. During the subsequent corresponding movement of “Revolutionary Literature”, a quite distinct notion of values was formed, which differed a lot from that of the May 4th Movement. Under the great influence of proletarian interest and taste, the popularization of revolutionary literature and art furthered the change in the linguistic means of literature to counter the effects of “neo-literary Chinese” spoken by most intellectuals. Consequently, there occurred the second revolution of Chinese vernacular language in which the language used by the intellectuals was converted into the daily spoken Chinese of common people(lower classes). The words changed a lot from written language to colloquial one to meet the needs of the vast number of illiterates among the masses. Accordingly, the traditional written literature was gradually expanded into various art forms including oral literature and folk art of singing and talking as well. Eventually, literature was transformed into daily cultural activities during the movement of popular literature and art.