Chapter 219 To Maltz

Dear Albert: Thanks to Shapiro for reminding me, I made up for a big mistake.I am very sorry, but because of my busy schedule and illness, I forgot to answer the long letter you sent me on April 28 last year. The thing is this: when your long letter came into my hands, I was about to inspect the work in the provinces of Northeast China.Because there was nothing to answer immediately in the letter, I planned to wait until the inspection was over before writing a reply. Unexpectedly, when I returned to Beijing from the Northeast a month later, I fell ill, and then I was busy with other work, so I just wrote the reply. The matter was delayed, and, I am so sorry, I forgot even the fact that I had this letter to answer.

It has been a year since I wrote back the letter. During this year, the world has undergone major changes, and China has also undergone major changes. Because of the many changes, we all feel that life is passing too fast. Although it is a year apart, it seems Only one month. Your long letter has aroused my great interest.Indeed, socialist realism is a complex issue, especially for socialist realism ① Shapiro is a translator at the Foreign Languages ​​Bureau. The evaluation of certain works is particularly complicated.Some works were highly regarded when they were used as heuristics, and were forgotten shortly thereafter, while others had the opposite fate.Both of these can be reasonably explained if combined with the specific local conditions at the time when the heuristic table was written.We do not deny that we are utilitarians. We first evaluate a work from the social effect it has on the local area at that time; however, we are also opposed to only seeing the immediate effect and forgetting the long-term benefits.A truly valuable work should not only have a social impact at that time and place, but also be able to move readers decades or even a hundred years later.However, such works will not be produced in large numbers in a short period of time.In a rapidly changing society, a large number of works that can be produced in a short period of time are works that will have an impact on the place at that time but may not be able to attract attention for a long time.This may be an unavoidable process in the development of new literature and art in the new society.

It is our responsibility to create the conditions to shorten this process.We should neither be complacent nor underestimate the value of current achievements; complacency keeps us from making progress, and underestimating achievements discourages newcomers. I think my views on socialist realism are basically the same as yours; you don't object to several important principles of socialist realism, right?I believe you have no objection.However, agreement in principle does not require us to agree on some specific issues in creation.If some specific problems in creation are forced to be consistent, it will restrict the lively and free creativity of writers, which is not good for the development of literature and art.Therefore, we oppose the dogmatic interpretation of socialist realism, and at the same time oppose the slander of socialist realism by revisionists.Dear Albert, you must agree that we must redouble our efforts to engage in the struggle on both fronts.

I thank you for your detailed and in-depth analysis.You are quite right in pointing out the structural shortcomings of the novel.The images of several Communist Party members in the book are not clear enough, which is also a major shortcoming.Among these Communist Party members (mid-level cadres in the labor movement), there are dogmatists and Trotskyites.This was a situation in Shanghai, China in 1930.Because the writing is cryptic (it had to be so at the time), today's Chinese youth will not understand it at a glance. It is no wonder that a foreign reader will be confused.But the main reason is that I don't have enough life experience, so I can't write the images of these party members realistically and vividly.

I heard that you have obtained a passport to go abroad and will travel to Europe in the near future. I congratulate you and your wife.I hope you and your wife can take this opportunity to come to China.You and your wife will be guests of the Chinese Writers Association and will travel to various parts of China.I hope you will receive this letter in time, and please feel free to contact me when you are traveling in Europe. (Be more careful, please write the letter to the International Liaison Committee of the Chinese Writers Association, not to me personally. Because I may have to go to other provinces for inspection after April, and I may not always be in Beijing.)

My friends and I look forward to welcoming you and your wife in Beijing in the near future. Your loyal Mao Dun March 22, 1959 Beijing H Appendix I "About Mao Dun and Maltz's Interaction" American progressive writer, short story and film playwright Albert.Maltz was one of ten people in Hollywood persecuted by McCarthy's Un-American Activities Committee.He was blacklisted, lost his job, and was forced to emigrate to Mexico City. In 1956, Maltz read my translation of Mao Dun's.He wrote to me expressing his admiration for Mao Dun's literary genius.I told Mao Dun what he said.Mao Dun asked me to convey my greetings to Maltz and my appreciation for his works.

Maltz sent some of his new works to Mao Dun through me.Mao Dun recommended some of these works to be translated into Chinese by some comrades. I passed letters for two writers for several years.It was not interrupted until the Cultural Revolution. Shapiro June 9, 1981