"Spring Silkworms"

Paper Summary:

This paper highlights the dominance of the peasant theme in Mao Tun's trilogy, "Spring Silkworms", which was a marked shift from the traditional focus on the elite in Chinese literature. The paper discusses how these stories celebrate the life, the triumph and the demise of the farmers or peasants and their battle against a society which was not supportive of their existence. The paper examines the plot structure, the characters and the setting, as well as the major themes of the story.

Outline:
Introduction
Spring Silkworms and the Chinese Society: A Historical Background
The Author
The Characters and the Setting
Plot Structure
Analysis of Central Themes and Other Major Characteristics
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"Traditional Chinese Literature is undeniably focused in celebrating the mesmerizing world of the elite and the aristocrats who are indulging in the feasts of music, wine and the luxurious life in the Imperial Palace. It also deals with romantic and family tales as well as with stories about heroism. Coupled with the description of these surreal worlds is the use of figurative language, which is more often than not, just meant to be understood by the scholars and the literatists."
"However, through time, there is an observed paradigm shift in the style of the writers. Instead of further patronizing the seemingly divine world of the bourgeoisies, most Chinese writers of the early 19th Century ventured in putting into writing the events which are happening in real life. Aside from viewing literature as just a form of entertainment and a vessel for relaying values, it was also seen as a mirror, which reflects the condition of the society. It also serves as source of light, which stirs realization and awakening of the victimized people."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Farmers and the Chinese Revolution, Accessed on 15 September 2005; available from http:// www.afe.easia.columbia.edu.
• Google Search. Date Accessed: 15 September 2005.
• Lilian R. Furst, "Realism," in Lexicon Universal Encyclopedia, 1988 ed.
• Mao Dun; available on http://www.factmonster.com/ce6/people/A0831662.html. Date Accessed: 12 September 2005.

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