THE LITTLE STORY
Recently,the “little story” has developed to a large extent and has been warmlyreceived by many readers in China.This is not hard to understand.The year 1958 witnessed a great leap forward:steel production increased by one hundred per cent,grain output more than doubled,and tremendous harvests have beenreaped on every production front.Our people,with boundless drive and energy,are working enthusiastically to substitute prosperity for poverty and to change our country into a paradise on earth.It is true,everyone has been bust:but eachknows in his heart why and for whom he is working so busily.
With the whole nation leaping forward at a flying pace,it is only natural that the little story should flourish.Concise and deft ,it is able to grasp the latest developments and portray them promptly .All of our little stories depict people who are devoting themselves to production and construction,their determination and boldness in overcoming difficulties and their eagerness to realize at the earliest possible time the noble ideal of creating a land of happiness—in this case,including also people from past revolutionary struggles as those in Seven Matches and Into the Mountains in the following selection.
Brief and simple in plot,the little story succeeds in portraying the spirit and the true face of the ordinary people.The characters in the stories win the heart of their readers who,in turn,are enouraged and inspired to strive for progress.People like Mr .Dulles ,who knows nothing about China and things Chinese ,probably will claim that these stories are instruments of “forced labour ”!They can claim anything they like .The Chinese people and their writers believe in themselves and pay no attention to the ravings of Mr.Dulles and his like.
The authors of these little stories are mostly new to the art of writing.Living amongst the people,and writing about things they find moving and interesting,they do not draw their material out of thin air but depict real people and true incidents.Their stories are something like reportage,and yet not quite.Although valuing truthfulness,the writers do not overlook artistic expression.Because they know the necessity of artistic handling,instead of elaborating on a story,they sometimes compress a complex plot into a very brief compass .
Who are the readers of the little stories in China?They are workers,peasants,soldiers,students and administrative personnel.Culturally,they are people who have developed new interests.They are glad to spend a couple of minutes a day reading one or two stories about outstanding persons in the great leap forward.This,again,is not something Mr.Dulles cares to know.He would like to see China remain in the time of Confucius when the people were illiterate and ignorant.But contrary to his wish,illiteracy has been greatly reduced in China and our workers,peasants and soldiers can now read literary works.
What's more,they not only read literature,but take part in writing it.In 1958,Chinese workers,peasants and soldiers wrote tens of thousands of poems and songs,some of very high quality.The poems are mostly written on outside walls toaccompany large murals .China has recently harvested rich crops in poems and paintings as well as in grain and steel.Under the circumstances,it is not difficult to see why the Chinese people are so interested in little stories.
This form of writing first appeared in China in ancient times.Today's new crop of stories may not compare in artistic technique with the old masterpieces yet,but if we bear in mind that this form began its renaissance and won its popularity during the great leap forward,we can readily see a brilliant future for it.It will soon become a literary vanguard ,arousing the people's enthusiasm.Our new cultured workers,peasants and soldiers will themselves also write such stories.
I do not mean to say that the little story will replace the longer story or even the novel which I have no intention of disparaging .But we alsourgently need short,concise writings portraying the new and colourful scenes in the drama of our people's leap forward.The little story is a lovely flower which is blooming luxuriantly in our garden of literature.