Language Ideologies in Early History of Modern Mandarin: A Study of Shen Congwen's Minor Literature

Abstract

Modern Mandarin replaced classical Chinese as a literary language in a very short period due to institutional efforts. This article is one of the first attempts to use linguistic anthropology methods to study the relationship between literature and nationalism in early twentieth‐century China. Writing genres and styles are examined to uncover the linguistic ideologies that arose in response to the complex language institutions in the modernization of the Chinese language. Shen Congwen presents a unique voice in a time of literary revolution and emergence of modern Chinese language and literature. In his literary works, collisions of different linguistic ideologies and poetic traditions in Chinese history can be readily observed. Using his works as case studies, the complex power relations of literati, rural people, languages and registers, and ethnicity embedded in this era's literature are examined through the concept of “minor literature.”