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Hu Feng's Conflict with the Communist Literary Authorities*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 February 2009

Merle Goldman
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Extract

Hu Feng was a Marxist literary critic who for almost thirty years allied himself closely with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and left-wing groups. In 1955 the Chinese Communists launched an intensive nationwide campaign against him in which he was branded as everything from an exponent of bourgeois idealism to an agent of imperialism and of Chiang Kai-shek.

Type
The Intellectuals (III)
Information
The China Quarterly , Volume 12 , December 1962 , pp. 102 - 137
Copyright
Copyright © The China Quarterly 1962

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References

1 Feng, Hu, Chien Wen-i Jen-min (Sword, Literature and People) (Shanghai: Earth Society, 1950), pp. 217–220.Google Scholar

2 Hsun, Lu, Lu Hsun Ch'uan-chi (Complete collection of Lu Hsun) (Shanghai: Lu Hsun Publishing Co., 1948), VI, p. 542 (hereafter cited as Lu Hsun).Google Scholar

3 Hsüeh-lin, Su, “Present day fiction and drama,” in Schyns, Joseph, ed., 1,500 Modern Chinese Novels and Plays (Peking: Scheut Editions, 1948), p. 32.Google Scholar

4 K'uei-jan, Lu, Hu Feng Shih-chten ti Ch'ten-yin Hou-kuo (The Before and After of the Hu Feng Case) (Hong Kong: Nan-feng Publishing Co., 1956), p. 3.Google Scholar

5 This section will discuss Hu's ideas as expressed in two books of essays by him: Sword, Literature and People, 278 pp.Google Scholar; Tsat Hun-luan li-mien (In Confusion) (Shanghai: Writers' Study Publishing Co., 1946), 280 pp.Google Scholar

6 Erlich, Victor, “Social and aesthetic criteria in Soviet Russian criticism,” in Simmons, E. S., ed., Continuity and Change in Russian and Soviet Thought (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1955), p. 412Google Scholar

7 “Literary authorities” refers to those in charge of Chinese Communist literary policy today, specifically Chou Yang, Kuo Mo-jo, Mao Tun, Yüan Shui-po, Ho Ch'i-fang, Lin Mo-han.

8 Feng, Hu, “Chih-shen tsai wei Min-chu ti Tou-cheng li-mien” (“Placing oneself in the democratic struggle”), Hsi-wang, I, No. 1 (01 1945), p. 3.Google Scholar

9 Sword, Literature and People, p. 156.Google Scholar

10 In Confusion, p. 54.Google Scholar

11 Ibid. p. 21.

12 Sword, Literature and People, p. 107.Google Scholar

13 In Confusion, p. 61.Google Scholar

14 Ibid. p. 176.

15 Ibid. p. 35.

16 The position of the writer Kuo Mo-jo at this time is of interest. He argued that “National Defence Literature” was concerned with relations between people in society, but could not be a basic principle in writing. This appears to uphold Hu's view that the Party could direct political and social matters, but not necessarily literary matters. However, while Hu maintained this position fairly consistently Kuo did not.

17 Hsun, Lu, p. 530.Google Scholar

18 Ibid. pp. 534–542.

19 “Kuan-yü Hu Feng fan-tang chi-t'uan ti i-hsieh ts'ai-liao” (“Certain reference materials on Hu Feng's anti-Party clique”), Wen-yi Pao (hereafter WIP), No. 9–10, p. 29Google Scholar, item 3 (1955). This material contains Hu's correspondence with his colleagues.

20 Ibid. p. 30, item 11.

21 Ibid. p. 32, item 29.

22 Ibid. p. 31, item 12.

23 Chou Yang, Ho Ch'i-fang.

24 WIP, 9–10: 32, item 21.Google Scholar

25 Ibid. p. 33, item 32.

26 Ibid. item 31.

27 Wu, Shu, “Lun Chu-kuan.” Hsi-wang, I, No. 1 (01 1945), p. 79.Google Scholar

28 Ibid. p. 68.

29 Ibid. p. 77.

30 WIP, No. 9–10, p. 32, items 23, 24.Google Scholar

31 Ibid. p. 31, item 14.

32 Ibid. item 18.

33 Ibid. p. 32, item 25.

34 Hu Feng Wen-i Ssu-hsiang P'i-p'an Lun-wen Hui-ch'i (Collection of Criticism of Hu Feng's Literary Idean) (Peking: Writers' Publishing Co., 1955), II, p. 90. Hereafter LWHC.Google Scholar

35 WIP, No. 9–10, p. 31, item 16.Google Scholar

36 Yao, Wang, Chung-kuo Hsin Wen-hsüeh Shih-kao (Draft History of China's New Literature) (Shanghai: New Literature Publishing Co., 1954), pp. 247–252.Google Scholar

Ch'uan-lin, , “Lun Ma-En ti wen-i p'i-p'ing” (“Discussion of Marx-Engels literary criticism”), in Sheng, Hu, ed., Lu Hsun ti Tao-lu (Hong Kong: Literary Publishing Co.), pp. 44, 45.Google Scholar

37 Feng, Hu, Ts'ung Yuan-t'ou tao Hung-liu (From the Source to the Flood) (Shanghai: New Literature Publishing Co., 1952), p. 64.Google Scholar

38 LWHC, III, p. 109.Google Scholar

39 From the Source to the Flood, p. 49.Google Scholar

40 Ibid. p. 106.

41 Ibid. p. 108.

42 “Kuan-yü Hu Feng fan-ko-ming chi-t'uan ti ti-er p'i ts'ai-liao” (“Second group of reference materials on Hu Feng's counter-revolutionary clique”), WIP, No. 11, p. 19Google Scholar, item 7.

43 WIP, No. 11, p. 21Google Scholar, item 23. The monkey was the hero of the sixteenth-century novel Pilgrimage to the West (Hsi-yü chi). Supernatural powers enabled him to change into an insect and slip inside his opponent.

44 Ibid. 24, item 44.

45 Ibid. item 47.

46 WIP, No. 9–10, p. 29, item 4.Google Scholar

47 Ibid. p. 24, item 45.

48 Ibid. p. 19, item 8.

49 Yao, Wang, II, p. 487.Google Scholar

50 WIP, No. 11, p. 19, item 5.Google Scholar

51 “Kuan-yü Hu Feng fan-ko-ming chi-t'uan ti ti-san p'i ts'ai-liao” (“Third group of reference materials on the Hu Feng counter-revolutionary clique”), WIP, No. 11, p. 6, item 12.Google Scholar

52 WIP, No. 11, p. 23Google Scholar, item 40.

53 LWHC, II, pp. 108–114.Google Scholar

54 WIP, No. 11, p. 25, item 49.Google Scholar

55 LWHC, U, p. 135.Google Scholar

56 Ibid. pp. 49–68.

57 Ibid. pp. 69–92.

58 WIP, No. 11, p. 9Google Scholar, item 24. There are conflicting reports as to whether or not Hu was ever a member of the CCP. “Application to the party” may refer to admission or reinstatement.

59 Though part of this report was reprinted in a supplement of WIP (January 1950, No. 1–2), it has not been allowed outside of China. Nevertheless, large sections of it have been quoted in their entirety in periodicals. While this is a poor substitute for the original, at least the general content of Hu's report can be understood Discussion of the first five items is based on quotations published in K'uei-jan'a, Lu book, pp. 30–35.Google Scholar

60 Discussion of the sixth item is based on quotations in the People's Daly (Jen-min Jih-pao), 01 31, 1955, p. 3.Google Scholar

61 WIP, No. 11, p. 26Google Scholar, item 54; item 55.

62 Communist China Problem Research Senes, The Case of Hu Feng, by I-fan, Wang (Hong Kong: Union Research Institute, 1956), pp. 116, 117.Google Scholar This is the most complete published secondary source on Hu Feng, but it contains little of an analytical nature. A large part of the material consists of translations of Hu's letters.

63 WIP, No. 22, pp. 7–15 (1954).Google Scholar

64 Kuang-ming Dally, 12 10, 1954.Google Scholar

65 WIP, No. 23–24, pp. 16–19 (1954).Google Scholar

66 Ibid. No. 11, p. 27, item 60.

67 Survey of the China Mainland Press (SCMP) (Hong Kong: U.S. Consulate-General), No. 989.Google Scholar

68 K'uei-jan, La, p. 22.Google Scholar

69 WIP, No. 11, p. 27, item 61.Google Scholar

70 Ibid. No. 9–10, pp. 21–26.

71 Ibid. No. 11, pp. 4 and 18.

72 SCMP, No. 1063.

73 B.B.C., World News Broadcasts, No. 473, p. 11 (hereafter WNB).Google Scholar

74 Ibid.

75 SCMP, No. 1101.

76 There have been conflicting accounts of what has happened to Hu Feng. Time on 06 24, 1957Google Scholar, reported that Hu had been released from prison in June 1957, in connection with the CCP's latest drive to “Let a hundred flowers bloom, Let a hundred schools contend.” Time suggested that perhaps Hu's release was to demonstrate the party's sincerity in promoting heterodox points of view. A New York Times release on June 11, 1957, gave similar information. However, a later report in the New York Times (07 19, 1957)Google Scholar stated that Hu was still in prison.

77 This discussion is based on articles in LWHC, III, by the following people: Shui-po, Yuan, pp. 100–123Google Scholar; Wu, Shu, pp. 147–163Google Scholar; Chien, T'ien, pp. 133–147.Google Scholar Also Mo-jo, Kno, in WIP, No. 7, pp. 3–6 (1955)Google Scholar, and Hsiao-ch'uan, Kuo, in Hsüeh-hsi, No. 7, pp. 21–25 (1955).Google Scholar “Communist charges” refers specifically to the charges as expressed by these men.

78 WIP, No. 11, pp. 12, 13, item 41.Google Scholar

79 Ibid. p. 18, item 2.

80 Ibid. No. 9–10, p. 32, item 23.

81 Ibid. No. 11, p. 35, item 2.

82 WNB, No. 471:29.

83 K'uei-jan, Lu, pp. 8, 9.Google Scholar

84 WIP, No. 11, p. 28, item 66.Google Scholar

85 Ibid. p. 28, item 63.

86 SCMP, No. 1068.

87 Extracts from China Mainland Magazine (Hong Kong: U.S. Consulate-General), No. 4.