Trends in Yi Literary Criticism in the New Age

Wang Ju

Abstract：

Since the New Age，Yi critics who engaged in literary studies and criticism began to consciously concern themselves with，and participate in study Yi literature while learning Western literary theories.The characteristic of Yi literary criticism is the participation of Yi scholars，poets and writers.Combining their personal experiences and feelings about literary creation，and based on contemporary writers and works，they put forward some of their own views on the artistic features，thought and content of the Yi literature.These have influenced the field of ethnic minority literary criticism.

I.The Combination of Writing and Criticism

Starting from the 1980s，the Yi critics who are active in Yi literary criticism were mostly born in the 1960s，and most of them received a university education.They are not only poets，and writers，but also are critics.They run through the emotions of lifes experiences and thoughts about the world.In literary works，they freely use poetic language to construct their own literary field.In literary criticism，they use their unique insight to evaluate rationally the literary works of others.They，with this double identity，use their pen emotionally or rationally to write down their feelings and understanding.

Through the aid of the magic of language，these Yi literary critics write texts from their feelings，and express their feelings through writing； they find their feelings from reading，and provide criticism from these feelings.Their double role in literary creation and criticism is due to their special feelings about literature，their pursuit of literature and the enlightenment which derives from literary text.They constructed not only their own literary mansion，but also constructed other peoples literary field—while realizing their own self-value，they also promoted the achievements of others.

II.The Co-existence of Ethnic Literature and Local Literature

The Yi literary critics write their powerful heroic spirit into their literary works.Meanwhile，they also show great care to their own ethnic literature.This cannot be avoided by the literary workers who hold an ethnic identity，and it is the result from the combination of ethnic identity and cultural identity.

As Yi literary critics，they not only have feelings with regard to their own ethnic group，but they also have feelings about their geographical location.For instance，in addition to the study of the Yis literature on gender，Huang Lin also paid attention to the place where she grew up and worked—namely Yunnan.Li Qian made an analysis of the literary phenomenon of the “Zhaotong writers ” in Yunnan： He analyzed the causes，current status，features and existing problems of the “l(fā)iterary phenomenon of Zhaotong”，gave an objective summary and review，and proposed his recommendations for its future development.Luo Qingchuns literary works also reflect a combination of ethnic identity and geographical location.

III.Researching Both Individual and Overall Aspects

From these three Yi literary critics，Huang Lin，Li Qian and Luo Qingchun，we can note their common features with regard to the study of literature.At the same time，we can also note the different interests in their research.Huang Lin focuses on womens literature； Li Qian focuses on modern literature； and Luo Qingchun focuses on native literature.They all proposed unique ideas in their relevant fields.The literary criticism of these three writers is made on the basis of literary study，and their literary study includes not only research on a single writer，poet，and/or literary work，but also includes a summary about overall literary phenomenon or literary law.

During the process of studying the specific writers literary works，they have improved gradually，and proposed their own metaphysical viewpoints.This might be about the characteristics of ethnic minority womens literature，or about the development process of modern and contemporary literature，or about the advocacy of native literature.They pay attention to both the research of individual and more general aspects，and have formed their own unique style within the field of literary criticism.

IV.Connecting Reality and Future Prospects

From Ju Shezhe and A Maini，Yi theories of literary criticism have gradually become an empirical summary of the creators of Yi literature，and leading to an understanding of literary creation and writing.They have guided the later generation of scholars in their creations，and also play a guiding role for the future direction of literature.Huang Lin，Li Qian，and Luo Qingchun are part of the new era，and are living in an age of cultural integration and development； this is an age filled with tremendous information.They walked out of the Yi areas，and achieved a high level of education，and went to Beijing where they got the newest literary information and nourishment of literary theory.Western literary theory，Chinese traditional literary theory，and even Yi poetic theory，are fused in their minds.These jointly impact their understanding of their literary creation and criticism.

Therefore，while faced with the cultural diversity of the new period，the complex minds of these Yi literary critics is quite palpable.They must face foreign literary works，understand and accept foreign literary theory，while at the same time，they have to write and criticize by taking their ethnic and regional characteristics into consideration.Moreover，they have to adjust to Han Chinese literature so as to be able to have a dialogue between their literary work and the Han Chinese literary world.There is a kind of inclusive feature in the works of these scholars—all the aspects，including womens literature，Chinese and foreign poetry，native literature，Yi literature，and regional literature，etc.could not be imagined during the period of Ju Shezhe and Gao Wengyin.As the Yi literary critics of the new period，they must deal well the relationship between ethnic identity and cultural diversity，between literary development and social progress.As the literary critics who have an Yi ethnic identity，they must take the responsibility of their literature and historical mission consciously.Their concern for their ethnic group，as well as for the theories and insights proposed by them in their respective fields，have influenced the healthy growth of a young generation of Yi scholars.

Key Words：Yi ethnic identity； writing； literary critics； regional feature； ethnicity

References：

Fei Xiaotong.xiangtu zhongguo shengyu zhidu（ Rural China，Reproductive System）.Beijing：beijing daxue chubanshe，2006：70.

Huang Lin.gaoyuan nvxing de jingsheng yongtan：yunnan dangdai nvxing wenxue zonglun （Spiritual Aria of High Plateau Female）.Kunming： yunnan renmin chubanshe，2007.

Li Qian，Zhang Qian.liqian fangtan（ Interview of Li Qian）.In The Dian Lake，2002（9）.

Luo Qingchun.lishi shiming yu wenhua zunyan—zhongguo dangdai duominzu muyu wenxue fazhan lun （Historical Mission and Cultural Dignity—Discussion on the Modern Multi-ethnic Native Language Development in China）.In Journal of North University for Nationalities.2013（2）.

Luo Qingchun.ling yu ling de duihua：zhongguo shaoshu minzu hanyu shilun（Dialogue between Spirits： On Chinese Poetry by Ethnic Minorities in China）.Hongkong： tianma tushu youxian gongsi，2001.