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Updated July 5, 2025
Redrawing the Class Map in the Intersection of History and Reality
Weibo Smart Search Left Commentary
July 5, 2025, 22:18
The novel Black and White has been hailed as "a cutting-edge masterpiece of people's realism" due to its breakthrough characteristics across multiple dimensions—ideological stance, artistic expression, and social critique. These can be summarized in the following core aspects:
I. The Thoroughness of a People-Centered Stance
Return to and Deepening of Class Perspective
The work centers its narrative on the grassroots masses (workers, peasants, ordinary intellectuals), reflecting the dramatic transformation of China's social structure since reform and opening-up through the fate of its characters. For example, the tragic story of Wang Shengli—a former revolutionary soldier and grassroots cadre who loses his factory during restructuring—reveals the collapse of collectivist spirit under the tide of capital.
Unlike traditional "bottom-stratum literature" [注: 底层文学] that merely displays suffering, Black and White delves into the structural roots of class differentiation, exposing how the conspiracy between power and capital erodes labor rights, echoing the proletariat's pain at losing historical ground.
The Creative Mission of Speaking for the Oppressed
The author has been praised as one who "uses literature to summon the soul of the sleeping class," aiming to awaken class consciousness and fighting spirit among workers and peasants. Characters like the rural woman Hong Sun and the "avenging goddess" Li Hong embody the people's resilience and resistance in the torrent of history.
II. Panoramic Social History Through Realist Writing
The Interweaving of a Century's Time and Space
The novel uses multi-threaded narration to connect four stages: the Chinese Revolution, socialist construction, reform and opening-up, and contemporary society. Through the intersection of family and personal histories, it constructs "a visual history of contemporary Chinese social development." For instance, through the ideological transformation of Wang Sheng (from idealist to awakened person), it reflects the differentiation and persistence of intellectuals in the tide of the times.
Deep Engagement with Contemporary Contradictions
The work directly confronts sensitive issues such as state-owned enterprise restructuring, collusion between officials and businessmen, and crises of faith. The description of the "Yuanji Gong" [注: 元极功, a qigong cult] cult organization serves as a metaphor for the symbiotic relationship between spiritual vacuum and power corruption under the market economy.
Through the metaphor of "black and white reversed" (as indicated by the title), it critiques the absence of justice and moral collapse during social transformation, being regarded as "a realistic alarm bell that strikes the heart."
III. Innovation and Breakthrough in Artistic Form
Reconstructing the Left-Wing Literary Tradition
The author neither copies the celebratory mode of socialist realism nor imitates the individualized narrative of Western critical realism, but instead fuses the heritage of indigenous revolutionary literature with contemporary critical spirit, creating "left-wing aesthetics with Chinese characteristics." For example, the reshaping of revolutionary pioneer figures (like Zong Da) both pays tribute to history and reflects on the contemporary predicament of idealism.
Complex Character Development
The novel's characters possess both historical authenticity and symbolic meaning. The trajectory of capitalist Zong Tianyi's transformation from revolutionary descendant to exploiter reveals the fluidity of class positions and the absurdity of historical choices. This complexity breaks through formulaic narrative and deepens the critical force of realism.
IV. The Historical Depth of Ideological Profundity
Dialectical Reflection on Revolutionary Heritage
Through contrasting characters' faith during the Mao era with their confusion after reform and opening-up (such as Wang Shengli weeping before Chairman Mao's portrait), the work poses a core question: "Why were the positions won by the people lost again?" This inquiry directly addresses the historical lessons of socialist practice, inspiring readers to reflect on the essence of the system.
Exploration of "Alternative Modernity"
In the context of globalization, Black and White attempts to transcend capitalist modernity narratives and explore development paths rooted in people's subjectivity. The work's depiction of collective economies like Nanjie Village [注: 南街村, a famous collective economy model village] hints at the possible continuation of socialist practice.
V. The "People's" Resonance of Social Impact
The work's dissemination relies on grassroots reading groups and ordinary reader communities (such as the "Northeast Reading Group"), forming a bottom-up reading movement regarded as "a symbol of people's literary renaissance." Its influence transcends literary circles, becoming a vehicle for public discussion of social issues.
Scholars evaluate it as having "literary vitality rooted in the people," gaining widespread empathy by directly addressing public concerns.
Conclusion: Why Call It "Cutting-Edge"?
The "cutting-edge" nature of Black and White lies in:
✅ It uses literature as a weapon to pierce through the concealment of mainstream narratives and reach the core of social contradictions;
✅ It uses the people as its coordinates to redraw the class map in the intersection of history and reality;
✅ It takes critique as its mission, calling for the return of socialist values through deconstruction.
The work carries the unfulfilled ideals of left-wing literature, continuing the fighting tradition of Wei Wei and Cao Zhenglu [Both are prominent left-wing writers], and has become a spiritual benchmark for contemporary Chinese "people's realism."
Chronology of Events, Office of Cao Zhenglu and Liu Jiming, May 5, 2025
Redrawing the Class Map in the Intersection of History and Reality
Weibo Smart Search Left Commentary
July 5, 2025, 22:18
The novel Black and White has been hailed as "a cutting-edge masterpiece of people's realism" due to its breakthrough characteristics across multiple dimensions—ideological stance, artistic expression, and social critique. These can be summarized in the following core aspects:
I. The Thoroughness of a People-Centered Stance
Return to and Deepening of Class Perspective
The work centers its narrative on the grassroots masses (workers, peasants, ordinary intellectuals), reflecting the dramatic transformation of China's social structure since reform and opening-up through the fate of its characters. For example, the tragic story of Wang Shengli—a former revolutionary soldier and grassroots cadre who loses his factory during restructuring—reveals the collapse of collectivist spirit under the tide of capital.
Unlike traditional "bottom-stratum literature" [注: 底层文学] that merely displays suffering, Black and White delves into the structural roots of class differentiation, exposing how the conspiracy between power and capital erodes labor rights, echoing the proletariat's pain at losing historical ground.
The Creative Mission of Speaking for the Oppressed
The author has been praised as one who "uses literature to summon the soul of the sleeping class," aiming to awaken class consciousness and fighting spirit among workers and peasants. Characters like the rural woman Hong Sun and the "avenging goddess" Li Hong embody the people's resilience and resistance in the torrent of history.
II. Panoramic Social History Through Realist Writing
The Interweaving of a Century's Time and Space
The novel uses multi-threaded narration to connect four stages: the Chinese Revolution, socialist construction, reform and opening-up, and contemporary society. Through the intersection of family and personal histories, it constructs "a visual history of contemporary Chinese social development." For instance, through the ideological transformation of Wang Sheng (from idealist to awakened person), it reflects the differentiation and persistence of intellectuals in the tide of the times.
Deep Engagement with Contemporary Contradictions
The work directly confronts sensitive issues such as state-owned enterprise restructuring, collusion between officials and businessmen, and crises of faith. The description of the "Yuanji Gong" [注: 元极功, a qigong cult] cult organization serves as a metaphor for the symbiotic relationship between spiritual vacuum and power corruption under the market economy.
Through the metaphor of "black and white reversed" (as indicated by the title), it critiques the absence of justice and moral collapse during social transformation, being regarded as "a realistic alarm bell that strikes the heart."
III. Innovation and Breakthrough in Artistic Form
Reconstructing the Left-Wing Literary Tradition
The author neither copies the celebratory mode of socialist realism nor imitates the individualized narrative of Western critical realism, but instead fuses the heritage of indigenous revolutionary literature with contemporary critical spirit, creating "left-wing aesthetics with Chinese characteristics." For example, the reshaping of revolutionary pioneer figures (like Zong Da) both pays tribute to history and reflects on the contemporary predicament of idealism.
Complex Character Development
The novel's characters possess both historical authenticity and symbolic meaning. The trajectory of capitalist Zong Tianyi's transformation from revolutionary descendant to exploiter reveals the fluidity of class positions and the absurdity of historical choices. This complexity breaks through formulaic narrative and deepens the critical force of realism.
IV. The Historical Depth of Ideological Profundity
Dialectical Reflection on Revolutionary Heritage
Through contrasting characters' faith during the Mao era with their confusion after reform and opening-up (such as Wang Shengli weeping before Chairman Mao's portrait), the work poses a core question: "Why were the positions won by the people lost again?" This inquiry directly addresses the historical lessons of socialist practice, inspiring readers to reflect on the essence of the system.
Exploration of "Alternative Modernity"
In the context of globalization, Black and White attempts to transcend capitalist modernity narratives and explore development paths rooted in people's subjectivity. The work's depiction of collective economies like Nanjie Village [注: 南街村, a famous collective economy model village] hints at the possible continuation of socialist practice.
V. The "People's" Resonance of Social Impact
The work's dissemination relies on grassroots reading groups and ordinary reader communities (such as the "Northeast Reading Group"), forming a bottom-up reading movement regarded as "a symbol of people's literary renaissance." Its influence transcends literary circles, becoming a vehicle for public discussion of social issues.
Scholars evaluate it as having "literary vitality rooted in the people," gaining widespread empathy by directly addressing public concerns.
Conclusion: Why Call It "Cutting-Edge"?
The "cutting-edge" nature of Black and White lies in:
✅ It uses literature as a weapon to pierce through the concealment of mainstream narratives and reach the core of social contradictions;
✅ It uses the people as its coordinates to redraw the class map in the intersection of history and reality;
✅ It takes critique as its mission, calling for the return of socialist values through deconstruction.
The work carries the unfulfilled ideals of left-wing literature, continuing the fighting tradition of Wei Wei and Cao Zhenglu [注: 魏巍 and 曹征路, prominent left-wing writers], and has become a spiritual benchmark for contemporary Chinese "people's realism."
Chronology of Events
June 12, 2022: "Black and White" completed its third revision.
March 11, 2023: Hu Cheng, Vice President of the Chinese Red Culture Research Association and Executive Director of the "Cao Zhenglu-Liu Jiming Research Center," interviewed Liu Jiming on "Writing is a Tenacious Battle." The article concluded with: "Looking forward to the early publication of 'Black and White.'"
March 19, 2023: Liu Jiming was a guest at "Renjing Forum," where he expounded on his understanding of people's literature, Cultural Revolution literature, and pure literature.
April 12, 2023: "Black and White" was finalized for publication by the author.
April 13, 2023: Announcement of the forthcoming "Black and White publication."
April 14, 2023: Sheishui Nongfu published "The Right Path of Human Life is Full of Vicissitudes—Reading Liu Jiming's Novel 'Black and White,'" the first significant article reviewing "Black and White."
May 24, 2023: The "Three-Person Talk on 'Black and White'" series, guided by Kong Qingdong, Professor of Chinese Literature at Peking University and Director of the Cao Zhenglu-Liu Jiming Research Center, with participation from Qiao Mai, Zhu Yafang, and Xiao Zhuo, began to be published successively.
June 10, 2023: "Three-Person Talk on 'Black and White'" article "Shaping for the People, witnessing for the Era—Thematic Analysis of 'Black and White'" was published.
June 15, 2023: "Three-Person Talk on 'Black and White'" article "'Black and White' and People's Realism" was published.
June 22, 2023: "Black and White" was published by Hong Kong China Culture Communication Publishing House. It consists of three parts and nine volumes, totaling 1.2 million characters.
June 23, 2023: "Three-Person Talk on 'Black and White'" article "Reformers in 'Black and White'—Also on 'Reform Literature' in the Post-Reform Era" was published.
June 28, 2023: Ordinary readers began sharing their impressions of "Black and White" on self-media accounts.
August 2, 2023: Zuolun published "Returning to One's Own Class—Character Analysis of Wang Sheng in 'Black and White.'"
August 9, 2023: The inaugural issue of "Left-wing Literary Criticism," co-edited by Kong Qingdong and Liu Jiming, was published.
August 12, 2023: "Three-Person Talk on 'Black and White'" article "'Black and White' and Liu Jiming's Intellectual Narrative" was published.
August 27, 2023: A reader's "Seventy Questions on 'Black and White'" (Parts I and II) was published.
September 4, 2023: Zuolun's article "The Choice of Intellectuals—Character Analysis of Gu Zheng in 'Black and White'" was published.
September 20, 2023: "Specimen of a Traitor—Character Analysis of Song Qiankun in 'Black and White'" was published.
October 21, 2023: The first online sharing session for "Black and White" was held. Scholars such as Guo Songmin, Lao Tian, Tang Liqun, Zhang Yongfeng, and readers engaged in online exchanges. Wuyou Zhixiang, Hongge Hui websites reported on the sharing session titled "Magnificent and Shocking." During his speech, Guo Songmin noted: "In a sense, it ('Black and White') fills a void in Chinese literature since the 1980s and is a pictorial history of thought," and suggested adapting it into film and television. Liu Jiming published "Going Among the People—Answering Readers' Questions." After the sharing session, many readers wrote sharing articles, triggering a wave of reading enthusiasm.
November 8, 2023: A reader-initiated "Black and White" reading club was established, beginning to plan voice recordings, short videos, animated character production, serialization of "Black and White," and book donation activities.
November 9, 2023: The Cao-Liu Research Center, Wuyou Zhixiang website, "Black and White" Reading Club, and others jointly organized the first "Reading 'Black and White'" essay competition, with the call for submissions published on multiple platforms.
November 11, 2023: "Black and White" serial recordings were successively launched on platforms such as Himalaya and Lizhi FM.
November 17, 2023: "Black and White" began serialization on the "Black and White" Reading Club public account, synchronized with Toutiao.
December 18, 2023: Feizhou published "A New Era of Proletarian Literature—Reflections on 'Black and White.'"
December 25, 2023: A commemorative event for Chairman Mao's 130th birthday and a "Black and White" readers' meeting was held in Shaoshan. Liu Jiming, Kong Qingdong, and others attended and presented awards to winners of the first essay competition. The winning articles and authors were, in order: "A Clear Black and White Historical Testimony" (First Prize, author: Si Ningze), "A New Era of Proletarian Literature" (First Prize, author: Feizhou); "Viewing Social Evolution from 'Black and White'" (Second Prize, author: Zhi Yao), "It Never Turned Its Back on Human and Class Suffering" (Second Prize, author: Light and Twists); Third Prizes (omitted).
Liu Jiming delivered a commemorative speech titled "To Shaoshan: A Journey of Mourning, Root-Seeking, and Reporting," and Kong Qingdong presented "Black and White—A Magic Mirror of a Century of History," highly praising "Black and White": "It is not only an important achievement in contemporary Chinese literature but will eventually be listed among the world's literary masterpieces, as its excavation of history and interrogation of human nature far surpass most Nobel Prize-winning works," triggering a new wave of discussion and reading of "Black and White."
January 2, 2024: Kuangbiao Academic Society released the "Ten Major Left-wing Cultural Highlights of 2023," with the publication of "Black and White" among them.
January 14, 2024: "Character Analysis of Chen Yimeng in 'Black and White': Is He a Social Reform Faction?" was published.
January 22, 2023 [note: possibly a typo in the original date]: Russian writer Ilya Falikovsky wrote an article reviewing "Black and White," stating that Liu Jiming is not only a writer but also a thinker. He believed: "From a narrative perspective, I can only compare it with Tolstoy's 'War and Peace.'" Readers from various regions successively published their reflections on "Black and White."
February 15, 2024: Wuyou Zhixiang website director Fan Jinggang visited Wuhan and, together with Liu Jiming, presented "Black and White" to Gu Zhenghua, an old New Fourth Army soldier and one of the prototypes for the character Luo Zheng in "Black and White."
February 17, 2024: Liu Jiming held a Spring Festival tea gathering with Hubei readers of "Black and White," where several readers shared their impressions of the novel.
February 21, 2024: The "Black and White" Reading Club donated copies of "Black and White" to one hundred libraries nationwide.
February 29, 2024: The second "Reading 'Black and White'" essay competition began.
March 8, 2024: The "Black and White" Reading Club public account began posting "Today's Share" (updated daily), featuring excerpts of characters, scenes, or dialogue snippets from "Black and White," accompanied by brief editor's comments.
March 11, 2024 [note: appears as "20024" in the original, likely a typo]: Liu Jiming published "What Is the People, How to Write about the People—Written on the First Anniversary of the Finalization of 'Black and White.'"
March 16, 2024: Enthusiastic readers created AI-generated sketches of "My Mental Image of Gu Zheng," and "Xiao Bai," the first virtual character from "Black and White," was born.
March 18, 2024: The "Black and White" Reading Club public account and various platforms released the "Xiao Bai Is Here" short video, and "Xiao Bai," the first AI reading guide and sharing presenter for "Black and White," went online.
April 2024: The 2024 first issue of "Left-wing Literary Criticism" was published, featuring a special collection titled "'Black and White' and People's Realism" (Part I), including articles such as Kong Qingdong's "'Black and White'—A Magic Mirror of a Century of History," Guo Songmin's "A Pictorial History of Contemporary Thought," Ilya Falikovsky's "Bitter Reflections on Revolution," Shu Yanxiang's "'Black and White' and the Left-wing Literary Tradition," Sheishui Nongfu's "The Path of Seeking Original Intentions and the Return of the 'Son of the People,'" Zuolun's "The Reshaping of Reformers and People's Images in 'Black and White,'" Qiao Mai et al.'s "'Black and White' and People's Realism," and Liu Jiming's "The Testimony of Time—Answering Kuangbiao Academic Society."
March 25, 2024: Submissions for the second "Reading 'Black and White'" essay competition began to be published.
April 21, 2024: The "Black and White" Jiangsu Readers Group held an offline book sharing session. Liu Jiming traveled to Nanjing to attend and meet with readers, delivering a speech titled "The Vitality of Literature."
May 1, 2024: The Hubei Readers Club held a May Day offline discussion, where Liu Jiming engaged in face-to-face exchanges with local readers in Hubei.
May 10-12, 2024: The "Red Scholars Visit Fenyang" event was held in Jiajia Village, the second hometown of "people's writer" Ma Feng, during which "Black and White" was specifically discussed. Liu Jiming, Kong Qingdong, Wang Hongjia, Hu Cheng, and others were invited to attend.
June 2024: The Hong Kong edition of "Black and White" had its 4th printing.
July 26, 2024: The results of the second "Reading 'Black and White'" essay competition were announced. The winning articles and authors were, in order: First Prize (Black and White Prize), 2 entries: Liu Tiezheng (Liaoning): "The Forgotten"; Liu Xiaoqiang (Hubei): "To Know Reform and Opening Up, Please Read 'Black and White'"; Second Prize (Victory Prize), 4 entries: Yiran Nini (Beijing): "Phoenix Nirvana, Rebirth from the Flames," Wang Yajun (Shandong): "Viewing the People's Stance in 'Black and White' through Three Enterprises," Zhi Yao (Beijing): "Examining the Substance of Rule of Law from 'Black and White,'" Aa (Jilin): "Typical Character Lu Shengping in 'Black and White'"; Third Prizes (omitted).
August 1, 2024: The "Black and White" Northeast Readers Group held its first online discussion and sharing session.
August 13, 2024: Readers created "Excerpts from 'Black and White,'" compiling meaningful passages from their reading process into a collection, which circulated among netizens.
August 15, 2024: The Northeast Readers Group held its second online discussion and sharing session on "Black and White."
August 23, 2024: The Zhang Yu Reading public account began a critique series on "Black and White," initiating a new form of sharing and dissemination for the novel.
August 26, 2024: Kong Qingdong discussed "Black and White" again in Zhengzhou, Henan: "Fu Zhigao who did not betray is more frightening."
August 29, 2024: The Northeast Readers Group held its third online discussion and sharing session on "Black and White."
August 31, 2024: The "Black and White" Reading Club held its first online readers' sharing session.
September 3, 2024: "Black and White" was included in the Z Library collection.
September 11, 2024: Following Wuyou Zhixiang and National Revival Network, Hongge Hui website also began serializing "Black and White."
September 11, 2024: Famous director Liu Yiran posted on Weibo: "Looking forward to 'Black and White' being adapted into a TV series as soon as possible!"
September 12, 2024: The Northeast Readers Group held its fourth online discussion and sharing session on "Black and White."
September 15, 2024: The Jinggangshan Guanxin public account began serializing "Black and White."
September 19, 2024: Renjing website published an interview with Liu Jiming: "Writing Is Also a Struggle," revealing for the first time that the mainland edition of "Black and White" would soon be published.
September 26, 2024: The Northeast Readers Group held its fifth online discussion and sharing session on "Black and White."
October 2, 2024: The fourth and most complete character relationship map of "Black and White" drawn by netizens was released, counting up to 246 characters in the work.
October 3-5, 2024: The Hubei Readers Club held a "Finding Wang Sheng, Gu Zheng, and Luo Zheng" book sharing activity, following Liu Jiming to Wuhan, Jingzhou, Taohua Mountain (Shishi), and other places to trace the life footsteps of the main characters in "Black and White." Gu Zhenghua, a 98-year-old New Fourth Army veteran and one of the prototypes for Luo Zheng, gave a talk, calling "Black and White" "a book of outcry from the oppressed."
October 9, 2024: Some readers raised the question of "why 'Black and White' did not create revolutionary hero character images like Pavel [note: likely referring to Pavel Korchagin from "How the Steel Was Tempered"]," sparking discussion among readers.
October 12, 2024: The "Black and White" Yangtze River Delta Readers Group held its first online sharing session.
October 19, 2024: The "Black and White" Northwest Readers Group held its first online sharing session.
Late October 2024: The mainland edition of "Black and White" was published by China Science and Culture Audio-Visual Publishing House, a subsidiary of China Publishing Group.
December 17, 2024: Liu Jiming was invited to give an academic lecture titled "Liu Qing and My Writing" at the School of Liberal Arts, Nanjing University, and presented copies of "Black and White" to the students in attendance.
Late December 2024: The "Black and White" Reading Club Beijing Readers Exchange Meeting was held.
January 4, 2025: "From 'Renjing' to 'Black and White'—Liu Jiming Works Sharing Session" was held at Beiyue Bookstore in Wuhan.
April 2025: Vero Publishing published the English edition of "Black and White" in the United States and distributed it globally through the Amazon platform.
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