On the unfinalizability and uncertainty of contemporary literature—an analysis of Mo Yan’s new novels

Abstract

Mo Yan, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2012, has published many new works of different genres since 2017, such as novels, poems, dramas, operas and even sketch stories, attracting a lot of attention and discussion. Although these new works are numerous, they are still characterized by exploration and transition. There is a phenomenon of “unfinalizability” in these new novels, which is characteristic of Mo Yan’s literary writings, such as the recurrence of the literary figure “Mo Yan”. Mo Yan has adopted many writing techniques in his new works to strengthen their concern and criticism of reality, such as reflecting society through focusing on individuals, close-up simple descriptions, typification of contemporary group mentality and a new “hit acupoint” illustration style. Moreover, his new novels present literary, realistic and even philosophical “uncertainty” through a method of life intuition. However, when we analyze Mo Yan’s new works in his whole writing lineage, we will realize the author’s loyalty to reality and art, and his works’ foreseeing power unconsciously becomes evident.