MCLC: dialect literature movement research project

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dialect literature movement research project
Source: WKIed News
In Focus: Hong Kong’s Dialect Literature Movement
“There are scholars who consider the works created during the Dialect Literature Movement vulgar and unfit for reading because swear words are used. It is actually possible to also view this from a different perspective, as a study of common people’s culture and the unique context of its time,” Dr Fanny Li Yuen-mei.
The use of Cantonese is rather common in newspapers, publications and books in Hong Kong. Many people consider these works to be crude and not worth reading. Nevertheless, in the eyes of left-wing scholars in the 1940s, Cantonese was a written language, which brought about the Dialect Literature Movement in Hong Kong.
According to Dr Fanny Li Yuen-mei from HKIEd’s Department of Literature and Cultural Studies, post-war Hong Kong served as a stronghold for Cantonese writing. “With its relative freedom, Hong Kong attracted a score of left-wing scholars from Mainland China to travel southward after the war, to promote their ideas in politics, literature and the arts,“ she said. Through the promotion by left-wing scholars, the Dialect Literature Movement became a unique chapter and phenomenon in the history of modern literature and left-wing literature, also providing valuable references and experiences for Cantonese writing.
“In terms of theory construction, and as a creative experience, the Dialect Movement in Hong Kong leaves a rich heritage for dialect writing, offering valuable experiences in this subject, and facilitates our own exploration of the possibilities in Cantonese writing. The thoughts and ideas of left-wing scholars at the time regarding common languages and dialects may serve as a source of inspirations for us today, when we consider the status and functions of the Cantonese language,” said Dr Li. The Dialect Literature Movement in Hong Kong documented the development of ‘Revolution Literature’ during the civil war between the Communist party and the Nationalist party. The movement directly inherited ideas behind the popularisation of literature and the arts in the 1930s, she added.
Studying the Use of Cantonese in Writing
The Dialect Literature Movement in Hong Kong carries far-reaching and profound significance for contemporary Chinese literature as well as the local culture. With this in mind, Dr Li will conduct a research project entitled “A Study on Dialect Literature Movement in Post-War Hong Kong”, with an aim to bring to light the results of the dialect literature movement in Hong Kong. In this study, data collection will be extended to a wider scope, to systematically document the Post-War Hong Kong Dialect Literature Movement, and to better understand its content and characteristics.
This study will examine, from the perspective of literary history, the significance of left-wing scholars’ promotion of ‘Revolution Literature’ in Hong Kong. In addition, it will also look at how Hong Kong as a colonial city restricted the actions and ideas of these scholars through political and social maneuver, and influenced their promotional strategies and writing approaches. Dr Li believes that the study will help facilitate a more comprehensive understanding of the value and influence of left-wing Revolution Literature and Art, as well as the significance of Hong Kong’s dialect literature movement in terms of literary history. The dialect literature movement was a part of the left-wing revolution which emerged in the 1930s. Left-wing scholars believed that “New Literature” at the time was an elitist product and out of touch with the people. The Post-War Hong Kong Dialect Literature Movement can be viewed as a chapter within the history of development for Cantonese writing in Hong Kong. Although it only lasted for two years (1947 – 1949), it provides significant references for the study of Hong Kong literature in terms of Cantonese writing. Works within this movement were mostly written in Cantonese, with a small proportion also written in other dialects of Canton, such as those of Chaozhou and Hakka. Such works marked the further development of the movement.
A Dialect with Tremendous Writing Potential
Under the movement, quite a few different study groups of dialect literature and arts had emerged, including “Popular Literature and Arts Seminar” and “Cantonese Dialects Literature and Arts Research Group”. These groups initiated discussions, and contributed greatly to the applications of theories. “Left-wing scholars who were active in these groups engaged in in-depth discussions on various topics surrounding dialect literature, including the target audience, format and writing style, as well as the functions of dialect literature, in addition to the relationship between dialect literature and Mandarin literature,” said Dr Li. Meanwhile, the movement also led to the creation of novels with distinct Cantonese characteristics, such as The Story of Xiaqiu by Huang Guliu, published as a serial novel in Re Feng, the supplement of Hua Shang Bao in late 1947, and Jiang Ping’s Ma Liu Jing in 1948. In 1949, Takungpao launched the Dialect Literature Bi-weekly, and the Dialect Literature Research Society published Dialect Literature, which included three articles that discussed the subject from a theoretical perspective, and 18 works of dialect literature. Dr Li stresses that such theoretical explorations offer important values as references today. “For instance, Zhong Jingwen is a Cantonese scholar whose theory on dialect is both pragmatic and balanced, emphasising the positive relationship between dialects and Mandarin which complement and influence each other. This theory offers much food for thoughts to Hong Kong readers today,” she said.
Dr Li believes that Cantonese is a dialect with tremendous potential in the written format. Cantonese works often draw inspirations from the spoken words culture, the style is usually humorous and rugged. In fact, some of the works in the Dialect Movement used swear words. “There are scholars who consider the works created during the Dialect Literature Movement vulgar and unfit for reading because swear words are used. It is actually possible to also view this from a different perspective, as a study of common people’s culture and the unique context of its time,” said Dr Li. Her two-year research project will collect and organise information from the left-wing literature and arts movement and Hong Kong’s Dialect Literature Movement, studying materials from newspapers such as Dazhong Daily (“The Public’s Daily”), Overseas Chinese Daily News, Sing Tao Daily and Takungpao. “This research project will systematically document the theories and creative output of the Dialect Literature Movement, in addition to assessing the achievements in these works of dialect literature, to facilitate our further understanding of the possibilities of Cantonese as a written language,” she added.
by denton.2 at osu.edu on November 5, 2014
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