Chinese Children's Literature in the 20th Century

Modern Chinese children's literature holds strong political, moral and ideological contents. Writers of this literature believed that the fundamental purpose of children's literature was for political and moral education. This book examines and analyzes the development of political and moral themes in Chinese children's literature of the 20th century. The author argues that the overt didactic nature of this literature was determined by the pragmatic purpose of its creators - as a tool to 'save' the nation. Writers of this literature firmly believed that they were the vanguard of society and it was their social responsibility to lead the nation toward a better future through 'saving children'. They were very much concerned with the correct 'guideline'. To criticise the predecessors, to change the status quo, and to place hope in the future were the distinctive features of the 20th century's children's literature in China. This book will be useful to scholars of world children's literature and comparative education, or anyone else who is interested in the relationship between literature and political indoctrination.