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Chapter 3 Ideological Qualities The main ideological motifs of CR agricultural novels were summarized by Chinese commentators in the Cultural Revolution as the struggle between two classes (the proletariat and the capitalist class), two roads (the socialist road and the capitalist road), two lines (the line of Marxism-Leninism guided by Mao and the line of revisionism) and two ideologies (altruism/collectivism and egoism/individualism). In the novels, the main heroes are representatives of the proletariat, of the leaders [daitouren] of the socialist road, of the followers of Mao's line, and of the values of altruism and collectivism.! Therefore, the idealization of the main heroes' ideological qualities occupies a prominent position in the novelists' characterization of the heroes, emphasizing the heroes' 'loftiness' and 'greatness'. The following analysis concentrates on the method and extent of such idealization, and consists of two parts: the heroes' consciousness of class, road and line struggles, and the heroes' consciousness of altruism and collectivism. CONSCIOUSNESS OF CLASS, ROAD AND LINE STRUGGLES Of the class, road and line struggles, the road struggle is usually attached to class and line struggles. So the main heroes' ideological consciousness of class, road and line struggles is primarily concerned with class and line struggles. In pre~ 62 • Chinese Fiction of the Cultural Revolution CR agricultural novels, the ideological motif of class and line struggles is not as conspicuous as it is in CR novels. The only subject matter in pre~CR agricultural novels is the collectivization movement, which represents the policy of the Party's orthodox line. The main heroes actively pursue the Party's policy and lead villagers to take the road of collectivization. Thus, their loyalty to the Party and its line, their understanding of the Party's policy, and the leading role played by them in local collectivization, all reflect the heroes' ideological consciousness. In Great Changes in a Mountain Village, Liu Yusheng understands that collectivization is part of the Party's cause and that he should playa vanguard role in the movement. Thus to uphold the Party's honour and discipline, he devotes himself to the movement regardless of his wife's opposition and other backward villagers' attacks. In The Builders, Liang Shengbao, who has been very much acclaimed in orthodox mainland Chinese literary circles as a lofty, heroic image of a socialist peasant, has a deep understanding of the significance and urgency of the collectivization movement. According to Liang, 'Private property was the source of all evil . . . He wanted to take this task of removing the ownership of private property as soon as possible, as his noble responsibility.'2 He plays an even more active role in leading local collectivization than Liu Yusheng. As pointed out by some commentators, the heroes' ideological consciousness in carrying out the collectivization in pre~CR novels was idealized.3 Generally, the idealization is based on a single standard of evaluation, i.e. exclusive obedience to the calls and instructions of higher authorities who represent the Party or government. What the main heroes do in the collectivization movement is to carry out the intentions of the higher levels. Liu Qing, the author of The Builders, stated that he 'tried to describe Liang Shengbao as a loyal son of the Party', i.e. 'a young Party member of peasant origin who obediently did as the Party said'.4 From another angle, the degree of idealization of the main heroes' ideological level is within such a range that their ideological consciousness and qualities are presented as being higher than those of their colleagues and subordinates, but lower than those of their leaders in higher positions of authority. Their understanding of the collectivization movement comes from the leaders' interpretations and guidance. In brief, the 'heroic' role they play in the stories is to learn the Party's policies from high~level superiors, to propagate these policies in the villages, to educate and organize villagers to carry out these policies, and to set examples for them. In view of the above characteristics, Joe C. Huang gave an unfavourable comment on the characterization of Liang Shengbao in The Builders: 'He is not a hero ... He is merely faithfully executing official policy and is perfectly well aware that the Party is behind him ... The difference between a hero and a socialist man is that between a man who makes a decision on his own judgement at his risk and a Party member who sees himself merely as the agent of Party policy.'s T. A. Hsia...

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