류헝 소설의 낭만적 데카당스 - 소설 ＜虛證＞을 중심으로

Abstract

New realism novelist Liu Heng(1954~) released a novelette Meaningless Evidence in 1988, created by the motivation of his friend’s death during his executives’ training course in Beijing University of Education. This story is mainly focused on the character’s collapse of his mind and body. The story also implies romanticism, the root of Decadence, through the protagonist’s collapse and the sight of other characters. It is quite a contrast while the studies tell that his original works have enlightening and naturalistic characteristics. Guo, Pu-yun, the protagonist, goes through a fate of realistic contradiction and conflict, also mental exhaustion to his death. Yet the point that he never shows the will to struggle and contemplates the stage of death is a Decadent characteristics of this work. The Characteristics of Decadence in this work is delivered by an individual anguishing between an attachment for life and a wound from reality, not by the corruption of general human nature. The description in Liu Heng’s work can be told as a passive attitude for secularization, but a true resistance. The Decadent factors of characters definitely includes their vague fear and struggle of sorrow for new acceptance of their new world after the Cultural Revolution. However, even if Guo, Pu-yun’s death shows the feature of aesthetics, it is worth of noting that its Decadence never ends to nihilism. A Clue of interpretation can be found starting with the point that Decadence roots from romanticism. Inside his dry touch as if he’s contemplating reality, there is an infinite inquire for human’s desire and instinct, based on the novelist’s hope for human’s vitality and sacredness.