[The Individuality of Literature] — My View on Literature A03

 

[The Individuality of Literature] — My View on Literature A03

nantai

Mr. Qian Gurong was a respected and renowned professor, a towering figure in literary theory and criticism. His assertion that "literature is the study of humanity" almost turned the entire Chinese literary circle upside down and has since become an almost universal consensus.

 

This is surprising and somewhat absurd: there was no one who stepped forward to argue against it in the spirit of "I love truth more". For this statement, though correct, is a useless platitude—similar to the judgment that "a white horse is a horse", it is true but utterly unhelpful. Even those who know nothing about literature would not end up writing exclusively about non-human subjects just because they are unaware of this famous remark.

 

It is considered a platitude because the "study of humanity" is a common feature of all social sciences, not the individuality of literature. Cadre files in government agencies, records of interrogations by public security organs, and medical records commonly seen in hospitals all pertain to the study of humanity, yet none of them qualify as literature.

 

When discussing literature, we should focus on its individuality rather than commonalities. The individuality of literature lies in its *sentiment and interest*. What distinguishes literature from other social sciences is solely its possession of emotion and appeal. Therefore, the "wen" (literariness) in literature is nothing but the study of sentiment and interest. Without clarifying this point, those engaged in literary creation will not know what essence to grasp.