Chinese Educated Youth Literature (Routledge Contemporary China Series)

Title: "Chinese Educated Youth Literature: Ambivalent Bodies and Personal Literary Histories" by Gabriel F. Y. Tsang

Overview: The book "Chinese Educated Youth Literature: Ambivalent Bodies and Personal Literary Histories" by Gabriel F. Y. Tsang is a scholarly work that explores the literary history of the zhiqing, or Chinese educated youth, during the liberal 1980s era of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The book delves into the ideological transformation of educated youth writers and their fictional bodies, which reflect their private ambivalence and dynamic compromises with political and literary dilemmas.

Key Themes:

1. Fictional Bodies: The book examines how the physical and physiological conditions of fictional characters in the works of zhiqing writers reveal their attitudes toward the socio-political environments of their time. It highlights the significance of labor, hunger, disability, and sexuality in these fictional bodies, moving beyond simplistic representations of iconoclastic spirit, patriotism, personal struggle, and socialist ideological control.

2. Laboring Bodies: The book explores how laboring bodies are represented in literature, transitioning from victims to heroes, reflecting the changing roles and perceptions of labor during the transition from Mao Zedong's era to Deng Xiaoping's cities.

3. Hungry Fictional Bodies: It examines how hunger is portrayed as a personal and cultural allegory, reflecting the economic and social challenges faced by the educated youth during the 1980s.

4. Disabled/Impaired Bodies: The book discusses the privatization and socialization of impaired/disabled bodies, showing how these characters navigate the complexities of socialist ideology and personal identity.

5. Female Bodies: It explores the representation of female bodies in literature, focusing on how these characters embody socialist ideals and personal struggles within the context of Chinese society.

Plot Summary: The book is structured around several key chapters that explore these themes through a combination of personal experiences, literary representation, shared history, and theoretical analysis. The chapters include:

• Introduction: Questioning the fictional remembrance of bodies past
• Representing Laboring Bodies from Victims to Heroes
• Hungry Fictional Bodies as Personal and Cultural Allegories
• Privatization and Socialization of Impaired/Disabled Bodies
• Socialism and the Experiment of Writing Female Bodies
• Conclusion: Back to our own bodies

Critical Reception: While specific reviews are not provided in the sources, the book is positioned as a valuable resource for students and scholars of Comparative literature, Modern Chinese literature, and Modern Chinese history. The detailed analysis and theoretical framework make it a significant contribution to the field of Chinese literary studies.

Accessibility: The book aims to meet the AA level of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, incorporating images, lists, and endnotes to enhance readability.