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."