An essay on cultural differences between China and the West from the perspective of literary works

1. The development history of Chinese literature

The origin of Chinese literature can be traced back to the "Book of Songs" in the pre-Qin Dynasty, which is the most representative work of the origin of Chinese literature. "The Book of Songs" comes from folk themes and is a true portrayal of the lives of the working people. It strongly criticized the cruel social reality at that time. By the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the main form of literary creation was philosophical prose. This stage laid the foundation for the formation of Chinese ideology. Qu Yuan's "Chu Ci" is a wonder in the history of Chinese literature and has made a huge contribution to the development of Chinese literature. Later Han fu, Tang poems, Song lyrics, Yuan operas, and Ming and Qing novels all reflected the development and changes of ancient Chinese literature. The May 4th Movement in 1919 was the beginning of modern Chinese literature. The ideological movement of college students to emancipate their minds and strive for freedom laid a solid foundation for the development of modern literature in our country. Lu Xun's "The Scream" and "Wandering" and Guo Moruo's "The Goddess" both embody the combination of realism and romantic writing techniques, setting a precedent for modern literary creation styles. These literary giants were influenced by Western literary consciousness and gradually formed their own styles. In contemporary times, the number of literary works created in our country is very large, but the quality is not high. The reason is that modern society has expanded material desires and has a strong sense of money worship, which makes it difficult for many writers to calm down and create without the temptation of fame and fortune. Most literary creators tend to seek fame and fortune, and commercialize their writing content, turning literary creation into a profession instead of leading the advancement of ideological trends from the bottom of their hearts. For example, Guo Jingming, a writer born in the 1980s, is highly sought after by young people born in the 1990s, but he is also questioned and criticized by many people. In particular, the release of the movie "Tiny Times" directed by Guo Jingming and its high box office revenue have attracted widespread criticism of today's fast food culture. China has a long history, and its literary achievements are also fruitful. Literary works of different periods reflect the culture of different eras. Therefore, it can be said that literary works are the embodiment of history and culture.

2. The development process of Western literature

The cultural origins of Western countries can be traced back to Greek mythological fables and Roman mythology. This period is relatively representative of Western classical literature. period. Engels said: "Without the foundation laid by Greek culture and the Roman Empire, there would be no modern Europe." It can be seen that Greek and Roman mythology played an important role in the development of literature in Western countries. The literary works of this period embody the ideology of "the unity of man and God", as well as the combination of exaggerated literary techniques and realistic descriptions. Religious culture was reflected in Western medieval literary works. The forms of literary creation at that time were mostly biblical stories, hymns, religious dramas, etc., which profoundly reflected the religious culture of the people at that time. In the late Middle Ages, the Renaissance movement arose, which greatly liberated people's minds and pursued freedom. Literary works also sprung up, such as "The Biography of the Giant", "The Decameron", "Yangquan Village", etc., which highlighted the people's of humanistic spirit. By the 18th century, realist novels became popular. Literary creators actively reflected social realities such as feudal religious etiquette, bourgeois oppression, and social injustice through literary creation, while praising great spirits such as liberal love and feminist women's liberation. . Classic literary works of this period emerged in endlessly, such as "Robinson Crusoe", "Tom Jones", "Conspiracy and Love", "Faust", etc., all of which made great contributions to the emancipation of people's ideology and the pursuit of the humanistic spirit. contribution. The development of American literature mainly reflects the war background and the liberal spirit of the western cowboys. It has unique western cultural connotations and has made immortal contributions to the development of western literature.

3. Differences in Chinese and Western Cultures in Literary Works

(1) Historical Differences in Cultural Differences between China and the West

Above we have introduced the history of Chinese and Western literature From the development process, we can see that there are many differences between the development paths of Chinese and Western literature. The reason for these differences is ultimately the difference in historical background. China has gone through a slave society and a feudal society that lasted for more than 2,000 years, and finally reached a socialist society. The longest stage of the development of Chinese national literature was the period of feudal society. People's thoughts and feelings were also resistance and lashing against feudal society. Anti-feudal thoughts are the thoughts and feelings contained most in Chinese literary works. The history of Western countries mainly goes from slave society to feudal society and finally to capitalist society. Western countries entered the budding period of capitalism in the 14th and 15th centuries, and experienced the periods of free capitalism and monopoly capitalism. The Industrial Revolution and the War of Independence had a huge impact on the ideologies of Western countries. Due to the regional and national differences between China and the West, their historical development stages are very different, and different ideologies have been formed. In Guo Jingming's novel "Little Times", it describes the personal growth and transformation of four college students in the new era and their pursuit of love. Throughout the novel, a lot of luxurious life is described and the characters created are almost Perfect. The reason why such novels are sought after by many people born in the 1990s is because they reflect the materialistic characteristics of today's era and people's yearning for perfect personality and life. Once the movie of the same name was released, the box office exceeded 100 million yuan.

Why is such a controversial work so loved by so many young people? The reason is simple. This work reflects the money worship of the 21st century, caters to the unrealistic wishes of young students, and satisfies people's needs for fast food culture in today's era. Generations of Americans who have gone through early immigration, the Revolutionary War, and the Civil War have firmly believed that they can get a better life through their own efforts, and people firmly believe that they can create value through their own efforts. The spirit of this "American Dream" comes from the history of Americans gaining national independence through war. Therefore, in "The Great Gatsby", the protagonist Gatsby comes from a poor family, but through his continuous efforts he has achieved great success. Wealth, this is the embodiment of the spirit of the "American Dream". "The Great Gatsby" is a work written by American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald in the 1920s. The United States is in a period of great economic development. People are actively developing production and creating wealth. These Historical elements are clearly reflected in the novel. Therefore, different literary works reflect different historical backgrounds and spirits of the times.

(2) Psychological differences between Chinese and Western cultures

The differences between Chinese and Western cultures are also reflected in people’s psychological differences. This difference mainly comes from the influence of religion and philosophical thought. Eastern culture, which integrates Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism, has always influenced the Chinese people. The most primitive cognition of the Chinese people is to understand themselves. Starting from their own moral cultivation, the "benevolence" of Confucianism, the "Tao" of Taoism, and the "Tao" of Buddhism The "empty" is its ideological core. Westerners, on the other hand, take Christian teachings as their main ideological core and believe in the Lord's gift and forgiveness. This religious psychology is clearly reflected in both Chinese and Western literary works. Du Liniang in "The Peony Pavilion" longed to pursue her love and life, but was unable to pursue it due to practical reasons. After her death, Du Liniang turned into a soul and finally had a happy ending with her sweetheart Liu Mengmei. This is in line with China's "good will be rewarded with good, evil will be punished with evil" "Retribution" and the desire for a happy ending. In the study of Western literary works, it is not difficult to find that most literary works end in tragedy. The main characters in "Wuthering Heights" all ended in tragedy. Catherine died in childbirth, Hindley died tragically, and Heathcliff committed suicide. Love hindered by feudal etiquette and material desires did not get a comic ending, which is the embodiment of Westerners' "tragedy" great" mentality.

(3) Value differences between Chinese and Western cultures

China’s traditional culture has always adhered to the spirit of collectivism and advocated collective interests over individual interests. Chinese folk sayings include "When everyone adds firewood, the flames rise" and "Unity is strength", etc., which all reflect the collectivist values ??of the Chinese people. Western countries, on the other hand, pursue individualistic values ??and respect the strong and heroes. Because Western countries are influenced by the idea of ??"natural human rights", people believe that as long as they do not infringe on the interests of others, all personal pursuits are natural and the pursuit of maximizing personal value. In "Little Times", the author focuses on the friendship between four female college students and the spirit of sacrificing personal interests for the collective interests. In "Foolish Old Man Moves Mountains", Yugong leads his family members to dig soil and move mountains. He does not hesitate to sacrifice personal interests for the benefit of his descendants, which embodies the collectivist values ??of the Chinese people. In "The Great Gatsby", Gatsby believed that Daisy married Buchanan because of money, so he determined to become a rich man. After several years of hardships, Gatsby gained huge wealth, which is a manifestation of individualism. Westerners believe that through unremitting efforts, individuals will surely live the life they want. In the novel, when Gatsby and Buchanan had an argument, Gatsby said: "Your wife doesn't love you." "She never loved you. She loved me!" Through Gatsby's words , we can see that Gatsby believes that the person Daisy loves is him, and they should live together. He does not care about the impact and harm it brings to others. This is the embodiment of individualistic values.

IV. Conclusion

In short, due to the geographical and historical differences between China and the West, the development of literature is different, and the differences between Chinese and Western cultures are reflected in literary works, including historical backgrounds. , differences in psychological cognition and values. Literary works are the reflection of national culture. We can appreciate different regional cultures through different literary works. Therefore, we should study more and read more literary works from different regions to understand different customs, customs and national spirits.