반부패소설 『滄浪之水』를 통해 본 중국과 중국 지식인 ― 주인공 池大爲의 시련, 선택, 성공을 중심으로

Abstract

Against-corruption novels surpass any literature phenomenon ofthe time from the perspectives of the quantity or the popularity. However, it is also true that they have been devalued from theperspective of literature artistry. Although, there are more than afew against-corruption novels that achieved attention from thepeople as well as the academia for their popularity and artistry. Among theses, one of the most representative novels is The Waterof Cang Lang by Yan Zhen. The Water of Cang Lang, published in2001 not only shows a cross-section of corruptions spread in theChinese bureaucratic society in the 1990s, but also sketches withreality the efforts and the frustrations of the intellects to make ita work that sincerely plays the role of an against-corruption novel. This paper has divided the life journey of the hero of the novel,Chi-da Wei, into three stages of ordeals, choices and success, andtried to look at what meanings do the contents of each stage bearon the Chinese society and the Chinese intellects. The ordeals of Chi-da Wei have occurred because he tried to livea life as a Chinese traditional intellect but this was not possible inthe reality. As his ordeals continued in the reality, Chi-da Weigave up his ideas and beliefs as an intellect and tried makenegotiations with the world. However, his self-conscience placeddeep within Chi-da Wei as an intellect make this difficult, too. Such ordeals of Chi-da Wei reflect the status and their innerminds of the intellects in the 1990s who were excluded by thepower, the people and the capital. And, the purpose that the booktried to show through the ordeals of Chi-da Wei was not asympathy or a satire on the intellects of the time like Chi-da Wei. It was the last appearance of the intellects from behind in theirdisappearing into the backwards of the life, as well as thehumanistic spirit such as the evening twilight. The choices of Chi-da Wei seem to be following the wisdom of‘The Song of Cang Lang’ that says to adapt to the glimpse of thetimes. However, the choices of Chi-da Wei are revealed to beunescapable choices required by the logics of power and situationas could be seen in the psychological experiment of StanleyMilgram. In the new experiment namely a market economy system,intellects such as Chi-da Wei are placed in passive positions likethe subjects in a laboratory. And inside the temptations of practicallogics and the continuous economic pressures, Chi-da Wei finallythrows out his self-consciousness and humanistic spirit as anintellect and make new choices. In other words, it shows that the traditional intellects represented by Chi-da Wei are only to collapsewithin a new environment like the market economy system. The success of Chi-da Wei truly reflects the dark reality ofChina at the time. The success of Chi-da Wei shows that for apowerless intellect to success within the market economy system,changes and proposition of learning are required, and that tomaintain such success, he needs to refrain from making criticismson the national system or the social organizations. Moreover, whatis more serious is that the purpose lies in that as successfulintellects take control of the money and the power, the absolutemajority of failed intellects are created and their foundations asintellects are poorly destroyed. As a result, in the Chinese society,a bi-polarization is created between those intellects who havemoney and power and those who do not, and a vacuum of thespirit of criticism is created within this bi-polarization. The successstory of Chi-da Wei is truly reflecting the reality of China wherethe intellects are collapsed and the critical intelligence reach to avacuum stage. In conclusion, the meaning of The Water of Cang Lang does nothave a valid value in terms of ethical awakening or criticism onthe corruption of the intellects or the corruption of theirrelationships. It is important that it shows the situation of Chinaand the Chinese intellects are shown in depth through thechanging process of Chi-da Wei. This is the deep and core meaningof The Water of Cang Lang has as an against-corruption novel, andthe reason why it attracts interests of many intellects.