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ENQUIRE PROJECT DETAILS BY GENERAL PUBLIC |
| Project Details |
| Funding Scheme : | Early Career Scheme | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Project Number : | 28402214 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Project Title(English) : | A Study on Dialect Literature Movement in post-war Hong Kong (戰後香港方言文學運動研究) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Project Title(Chinese) : | 戰後香港方言文學運動研究 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Principal Investigator(English) : | Dr Li, Yuen Mei Fanny | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Principal Investigator(Chinese) : | 李婉薇 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Department : | Department of Literature and Cultural Studies | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Institution : | The Education University of Hong Kong | ||||||||||||||||||||
| E-mail Address : | fannyli@ied.edu.hk | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Tel : | 29487216 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Co - Investigator(s) : |
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| Panel : | Humanities, Social Sciences | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Subject Area : | Humanities and Arts | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Exercise Year : | 2014 / 15 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Fund Approved : | 209,298 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Project Status : | Completed | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Completion Date : | 30-6-2017 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Project Objectives : |
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| Abstract as per original application (English/Chinese): |
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| Realisation of objectives: | To great extent that the project objectives have been achieved. For objective 1, it was achieved in the first year with help of RA. A lot of related reference materials and catalogs had been produced including "Critical Writings on The Story of Shrimp-ball in 1940s", "Lists of Critical Writings of Dialect Literature in DLM" and "Chronicle of Works of Huang Gu-liu". There are 2 papers produced: "Confrontation of Spoken and Written Languages: A Critical Account of Dialect Literature Movement in Post-war Hong Kong" and "In Context of Post-war Hong Kong: Dialect Literature Movement and Production of The Story of Shrimp-ball". They realize the other 3 objectives. The first paper evaluates the contributions of DLM in both theories and literary works in macroscopic perspective. This realize the second objective. The paper investigate DLM in an innovative perspective: interaction and struggle between spoken and written languages. Starting from late Qing period, unification of spoken (yan) and written (wen) languages has been the goal of intellectuals. In 1920s, vernacular of northern population was developed as Bei Hua Wen, actually can be regarded as a writing system. However, this modern written Chinese was soon challenged by leftists. They claimed that Bei Hua Wen was product by elite and neglected vocal languages of mass public. In the background of Sino-Japanese war and civil war, dialects became more and more important. In late 1940s, there was another critical stage of modern China. Leftists fled to Hong Kong and initiate Dialect Literature Movement (DLM). By inheriting theories and goal of revolutionary literature in 1930s, they explored how dialects in Southern China, mainly Cantonese, can become resources in the process of “popularization in arts and literature”. Although all leftists target at “popularization in arts and literature”, their views regarding how to use dialects are very different. According to their arguments, they can be divided into two groups: The compromised leftists regarded dialects as supplementary elements in creative works while the radical leftists advocated purely usage of dialects for sake of illiterate mass. By investigating three representative writers: Fu Gong-wang, Huang Gu-liu and Chen Can-yun, we can discover that how political beliefs and cultural background affects their choices in writing. It is clear that tension between spoken and written languages is still unneglectable in late 1940s. The imagination and experience in DLM is valuable resources for us to develop written forms of dialects. On the other hand, equilibrium of both form of languages is prerequisite in producing written styles of literary works. Taking the novel "The Story of Shrimp-ball" as a case study, the second paper review DLM in microscopic vision. This paper argues that the representative novel of the movement demonstrated uniqueness of Hong Kong and tension between revolution and entertainment among leftists writers and editors. Before the formal start of civil war, struggle between Kuomintang and Communist Party was began in Hong Kong when leftists came to the city for preparation of ideological propaganda. In 1947, more leftist fled to Hong Kong and initiate a series of cultural and literary activities. Dialect Literature Movement (DLM) was the most representative one. The involved leftists aimed at continuing “Popularization of Arts and Literature” in Hong Kong. Although workers and farmers in Guangdong were their imaginary readers and audience, they could not neglect local citizens who were their actual readers and audience. In order to maintain survival of cultural business and to explore writing resource, leftist editors and writers had to consider the need of citizens whose interests were very different from general mass in rural mainland. The Story of Shrimp-ball, the famous novel written by Huang Gu-liu, was regarded as most successful works produced in DLM. However, this paper points out that the writing strategy and production process of the novel demonstrated server tension between revolution and entertainment. From the viewpoints of orthodoxic leftists, the plot of The Story of Shrimp-ball is too dramatic and could not reach the goal of Popularization. The unique context of commercial urban Hong Kong, although provided freedom for leftists in a certain extent, but also constrained their considerations which put themselves into inevitable dilemma. For objective 4, both papers mentioned above discuss the role of DLM in context of revolutionary literature: how leftists inherited theories and principles from important leftist thinkers and writers, how they developed such theories and principles in unique context of Hong Kong, how aesthetic of revolutionary literature clashed with local industry of popular literature, what are inspirations and shortcomings of theories and works of DLM as leftist literature movement, etc. The PI is terribly sorry that the 2 papers mentioned above have just finished written before submission of final report. This is because of unexpected difficulty in finding most suitable perspectives of analysis and explanation. It was not until late June in 2017, when it was the end of research period, PI was satisfied with her explanation framework of DLM. In addition, there were many other research duties that have been conducted by PI including application of other research funding in 2016. The PI also organized a academic workshop which brought critical benefit for the research project in 2017. Despite the difficulties, both papers are under review by academic journals and hopefully will be revised and published in near future. The PI will inform RGC as soon as possible through university RDO. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Summary of objectives addressed: |
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| Research Outcome | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Major findings and research outcome: | Two papers are produced: "Confrontation of Spoken and Written Languages: A Critical Account of Dialect Literature Movement in Post-war Hong Kong" and "In Context of Post-war Hong Kong: Dialect Literature Movement and Production of The Story of Shrimp-ball". The major findings are as follow: 1. The leftists found themselves in inevitable dilemma when they try to balance revolution and entertainment. The unique context of colonial and commercial urban Hong Kong provided freedom for leftists in a certain extent but also constrained their strategies. 2. According to their views in dialect literature, leftists can be divided into 2 groups: compromised leftists regarded dialects as supplementary elements in creative works while the radical leftists advocated purely usage of dialects for sake of illiterate mass. 3. After nearly 20 years of modern Chinese writing (Bei Hua Wen) was establishment as common writing system, tension between spoken (yan) and written (wen) languages is still very strong in late 1940s. Unification of both forms of languages remains a difficult task in modern China. The imagination and experience in DLM is valuable resources for us to develop written forms of dialects. On the other hand, equilibrium of both form of languages is prerequisite in producing written styles of literary works. 4. Different from consensus in academia, leftists in DLM did not neglect Hong Kong and its citizens - the reality they confronted. In the contrary, it was common for them to discuss how to meet interests of local citizens and what is the relationship of city life and revolutionary literature production. 5. Different from consensus in academia, "The Story of Shrimp-ball" is representative as literary production in DLM not because of using Cantonese, but demonstrates tension between revolution and entertainment. The novel was popular among young citizens in 1940s, however, the plot is too dramatic and could not reach the goal of Popularization in the viewpoints of orthodoxic leftists. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Potential for further development of the research and the proposed course of action: |
The analysis framework, "interaction between spoken and written languages", developed in this research project will become references for other related research in future. This framework helps to put research of "written Cantonese" in extensive historical and cultural context. The PI is considering methodologies and content of her next monograph which will involve analysis framework and research outputs of the project. To serve this purpose, PI will investigate related research outputs regarding "spoken and written languages in modern China". | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Layman's Summary of Completion Report: | The research points out that Hong Kong is unique in political, historical and cultural context. On the one hand, she provided relatively freedom to leftist who fled southwards in civil war and could initiate literature and cultural activities in the city. As a region in South China, Hong Kong inherited tradition of written Cantonese which stimulated imagination of leftists about dialect literature which had been advocated by their forerunners in mainland since 1930s. On the other hand, Hong Kong has already been a commercial city in post-war period. When leftists writers and editors tried to impose ideological propaganda and literature movement in Hong Kong, they had to consider interests of local citizens whose background was completely different from workers and farmers in rural mainland. The leftists found that they were in the dilemma between revolution and entertainment. They have to reconsider their literature theories and revise their writing strategies. It is obvious that Hong Kong is not only a neutral place that receive political struggle passively, she interacted with the era with her uniqueness. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Research Output | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Peer-reviewed journal publication(s) arising directly from this research project : (* denotes the corresponding author) |
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| Recognized international conference(s) in which paper(s) related to this research project was/were delivered : |
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| Other impact (e.g. award of patents or prizes, collaboration with other research institutions, technology transfer, etc.): |
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| Realisation of the education plan: | |||||||||||||||||||||
| SCREEN ID: SCRRM00542 |