The Ghost Hovering Between "Tradition" and "Pioneer--On the Ambiguity of the Textual Meaning of "To Live"

Abstract

"To Live" is often regarded as one of Yu Hua's iconic works from the avant-garde to the realistic tradition. Strictly speaking, "To Live" inherits some characteristics of avant-garde literature on the basis of realism: under the domination of the principle of realism, although the avant-garde is more hidden in the text, there are still traces to follow. As a transformational work, it has received impressive responses in both the reader market and the critics, and can be called an excellent answer sheet. "To Live" is a special spiritual product born in a special era. It reflects the unique cultural temperament of the 1990s. It is Yu Hua's balance between the two styles of realism and avant-garde that makes it a classic work of an era.