Hello Gentle Reader
Sometimes literature and politics are little more black and white then they should be. However at times the talent of the author outweighs their political convictions: Herta Müller; Harold Pinter; Joseph Brodsky – and so on. Other times the politics and the literary become intertwined in reluctant matrimony: Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn and Gao Xingjian. Other times by no choice at all the author does become a political symbol that will out weight his or her literary talents; by both the choice of his or her country’s political devotions but also by his or her lack of political nay say: Mo Yan.
The Chinese government has always been interested and desired a Nobel Prize to go towards a tolerable Chinese citizen. Be it a scientist or a writer – politicians or activists would be out of the question; just look at the example of the dissident Liu Xiaobo who remains a political prisoner; though the Chinese government blatantly denies this. Considering China’s poor human rights track record, their totalitarian political regime, and this time one cannot say that the Nobel Prize for Literature is awarded on pure cultural purposes – may their be ancient; classical; historical or contemporary examples of a beautiful culture – but when the state itself holds the power to censor and to punish unpatriotic or ‘un-Chinese,’ writers or scientists; the prize should not be awarded to a national citizen who still identifies or lives within the country – whether or not they are supportive of the regime or quiet about it. Why? Because the award no longer has its pure cultural agenda in mind; it becomes a political statement. It becomes an award that has fallen prey to the lobbying and to the protests and to the agenda of actively seeking a prize for reasons other than cultural purposes and the individuals own literary merits.
The Nobel Prize for Literature is an award given to the individual who have the necessary and outstanding and exceptional merits that constitute for their recognition of this prize. This time however, on a personal note the award was given to a rather undeserving author for his lack of protests against his own government’s intolerable actions. More deserving Chinese authors are: Bei Dao, Duo Duo, Ah Cheng, Xi Chuan, and the late Mu Xin. These authors would be far more fitting then the politically tolerable one. One simply has to look back in a year’s time after the Nobel Peace Prize was given to Liu Xiaobo. His wife Liu Xia is being held hostage and prisoner in her own home. She is isolated from the rest of the world with no internet, television or telephone. The only contact she has is with her mother. China continues this belligerent attack against the family of Xiaobo.
When the first Chinese born writer and playwright who had become a French citizen; Gao Xingjian, had won the award in the year two-thousand the Chinese government was less then warm about it. Congratulating the author and France for the award – further showing their abandonment of Gao Xingjian as a Chinese writer and citizen. Now that Mo Yan has been awarded the Prize it is safe to say that China is pleasantly pleased with the award. However the dangerous dance is being played. As Mo Yan made the political comment that fellow Laureate Liu Xiaobo’s freedom.
Perhaps this award was not a complete waste. Still however I feel personally that the award could have been given to more deserving writer. Perhaps next year there will be more careful choice placed into the award. For now I debate whether or not to read the authors novel(s). Now it’s the waiting game to see what’s going to happen next, between Mo Yan and the Chinese government.
Thank-you For Reading Gentle Reader
Take Care
And As Always
Stay Well Read
*And Remember: Downloading Books Illegally is Thievery and Wrong.*
M. Mary
