China Social Science Review

No.1, 2023

Analysis of Two Types of Author Theory in Relation to Modern Chinese Writers

(Abstract)

Liu Weiguo

In terms of research approach, two types of author theory have been applied to modern Chinese writers: one evaluates the aesthetic sense, the other conducts socio-historical analysis. Each has its own characteristics: the former pays more attention to artistic style, while the latter focuses on the writer’s intellectual bent. In the unique Chinese context, the former has gradually fallen out of fashion, but the latter, too, has encountered difficulties. Both evince Lu Xun’s criticism of failure to “take into account the work as a whole” and to “consider the writer as a whole.” In terms of scientific standards, they all leave room for improvement.