Dong Cuicui
Abstract: Guo Cuihua’s prose collection Our Generation takes the personal life experiences of intellectuals born in the 1950s as its framework. Through sincere and unadorned “micro-narratives”, it vividly weaves a picture of China’s social transformations in the mid-to-late 20th century. Guo Cuihua’s writing fuses the delicacy of a female perspective with the rational reflection of an intellectual. Her “unpolished” language and “seeing the big picture through small details” structure render the text an emotional bridge connecting individual memories with collective history. This review further draws on theories such as reception aesthetics, narrative psychology, and lifelong learning to explain how the work evokes cross-generational life resonance and self-reconstruction among diverse readers. It also demonstrates the unique academic value of her writing as micro-historical materials in supplementing grand historical narratives. Finally, it argues that Our Generation has achieved literary vitality that transcends the times due to its profound exploration of universal human themes––including life resilience and spiritual home.
Keywords: Guo Cuihua; Our Generation; micro-narratives; intergenerational memory; intellectual writing; reception aesthetics
1. First Encounter: Resonance Between Individual Memory and Collective History
As my fingertips once again brush over the inscription “To Cuicui, with best regards. Year of Jihai. Guo Cuihua” on the title page of Our Generation, six years of time quietly unfold in the ink marks. Over these six years, the tide of life has swept forward with change, yet this prose collection-bound in yellow and blue—has always been like a quiet anchor on my bookshelf. Through the weight of words, it anchors the cross-generational resonance of life. At the invitation of Professor Wang to write a book review, I opened it again, stepped into Guo Cuihua’s world of words, explored the era belonging to the “post-1950s generation”, and re-examined my connections with literature, education, and life.
I first met Teacher Guo Cuihua at a literary lecture. Her sharing was gentle yet full of strength, which deeply fascinated me. During the intermission, I couldn’t help but express my enthusiasm to Chairman Zhang of the Former Hexian County Writers’ Association. Unexpectedly, Chairman Zhang later introduced Teacher Guo to me, thus forging an indissoluble bond between her, her works and me. First, I was first drawn to her soft yet resolute voice, then immersed in her simple and affectionate words, and finally grew to deeply admire her as a person—an intellectual who clung to her original aspirations amid the trends of the times and used words to record the warmth of life. Just as she wrote in Literature is a Door: “My heart is thus nourished and enlivened. Like a hibernating snake, it is frozen but not stiff. It can easily be revived in spring and skillfully find the soil for its growth.” (Guo Cuihua23) My affection for her stems from the joy of a heart that loves literature being awakened, and the resonance of souls meeting in the realm of words.
“Many people have called to tell me that one doesn’t need a lot of good books; often, only one or two books play a crucial role in one’s life.” (Guo25) For me, Our Generation is precisely such a book. Guo Cuihua (pen name Huazi, 1954–), a native of Ma’anshan, Anhui Province, graduated from the Chinese Department of Anhui Normal University in 1982. She has served as an editor and deputy editor-in-chief of Jiangnan Literature of Masteel, Chairman of the Ma’anshan Writers’ Association, a member of the Anhui Provincial Writers’ Association, and a member of the China Writers’ Association. In addition to Our Generation, she has authored works such as Purple Night and Flowing Water Between Fingers.Our Generation focuses on the growth and life experiences of intellectuals born in the 1950s, linking China’s mid-to-late 20th century social changes through their personal trajectories, emerging as a masterpiece that unites literariness with ideological depth, replete with reflections on the times and the accumulation of life experiences.
2. Weaving: The Era’s Framework and Stylistic Characteristics in Micro-Narratives
In Our Generation, Guo Cuihua weaves her personal life journey into the grand framework of the era from the unique perspective of an intellectual born in the 1950s. The 188 prose pieces, like fine stitches, sew the life details of the material-scarce era, the perseverance of ideals amid educational changes, and the joys and sorrows of career life into the fabric of time. She writes in the preface: “Our generation grew up in the folds of the times; each fold hides a story and a weight.” (Guo, Preface) These unpolished words, infused with simplicity and poetry, transform history into tangible life warmth. As reception aesthetician Hans Robert Jauss noted: “The meaning of a literary work is not entirely determined by the text itself, but is continuously constructed and realized in the process of readers’ reading.” (Jauss45) Guo Cuihua’s words have precisely built a bridge for readers to reach that era.
(I) Language Style: The Simplicity and Sincerity of Being Unpolished
Guo’s writing style exemplifies contemporary prose that “depicts the era through intimate expressions and conveys deep feelings with simplicity”. She avoids the emptiness of grand narratives and the narrowness of personal writing, constructing a unique literary texture between delicacy and depth, sensibility and rationality. In terms of linguistic expression, her words possess the unpolished quality of simplicity, yet burst forth with a power that strikes directly at the heart. She does not rely on flowery rhetoric, but uses a nearly “life sketching” technique to truly reproduce scenes and emotions. When describing her childhood in the countryside, she only uses the sentence “In June, dogs bathe, and the wind carries the fragrance of rice flowers and wheat” (Guo45), and the vivid atmosphere of the summer countryside immediately comes to life. When talking about the insights from growth, she bluntly states: “The so-called growth is the process of turning the sound of crying to silent mode...” (Guo89), expressing the transformation and perseverance of a generation with straightforward and sincere statements. As Vladimir Nabokov said: “Simple words often have the most powerful appeal because they are close to the true nature of life.” (Nabokov57) Guo’s prose embodies this truth. The essence of this language style lies in her consistent practice of “sincere writing”. Her prose is as honest as a private diary, not concealing the roughness of life or the tenderness of the heart. In her writing, life is “a piece of rough cloth” that needs to be “sewn into a well-fitting garment with both hands; the stitches hold sweat as well as warmth” (Guo102). This kind of writing rooted in real experiences makes words an “emotional conductor” connecting the author and readers. As Albert Camus said: “Great works are often born from real suffering and profound thinking.” (Camus89) It is this sincerity that has won Guo the hearts of readers.
(II) Narrative Structure: The Micro and Macro of Seeing the Big Picture Through Small Details
In terms of narrative structure, she is good at taking “micro-memories” as a starting point to connect the grand landscape of the era, forming a narrative logic of “seeing the big picture through small details”. Every prose piece in the collection begins with personal experiences, yet each subtly aligns with the context of the era’s development within the micro-narratives. For example, her yearning for Anhui Normal University in Starting from Diaries (Guo 67) reflects the social background of the scarcity of educational resources in a specific era. Her memory of being “daring to resist” in Fighting (Guo112) implies the tenacious character shaped by a generation in harsh environments. This narrative method breaks down the boundary between “personal history” and “epochal history”. Hayden White pointed out: “Historical narrative is not merely a record of past events, but more importantly, a construction of the meaning of history.” (White142) It is through the interplay between the micro and the macro that Guo Cuihua’s prose presents a vivid picture of the era.
Perspective Integration: The Delicacy of a Female Perspective and theReflection of
an Intellectual
What is even more commendable is that her writing consistently merges the “delicacy of a female perspective” with the “reflection of an intellectual”. As a female writer, she is particularly sensitive in capturing emotions. In her works, family affection is “like wine brewed by time, becoming more fragrant as it ages” (Guo124); the teacher-student bond is depicted as the teacher having “steered clear of my blind enthusiasm at that time and made the choice he believed was right for my life” (Guo135). This confirms Elaine Showalter’s view: “Female writing often places greater emphasis on the expression of emotions and the detailed portrayal of the inner world.” (Showalter93) As an intellectual, she has never been confined to personal emotions, but has always engaged in in-depth thinking about the era, herself, and her spiritual home. She asks: “In this era of clinging to the self and pursuing the self, are we getting closer to ourselves or farther away?” (Guo 174) She also emphasizes: “The responsibility of intellectuals is not only to read and write, but also to remain sober amid the hustle and bustle and adhere to the bottom line amid impetuosity...” (Guo156) The integration of emotional narrative and rational reflection endows the work with both warmth and depth. Isaiah Berlin once said: “The mission of intellectuals is to examine the problems of the era and provide reflection and guidance for society with reason and conscience.” (Berlin76) Guo Cuihua is exactly such an intellectual.
3. Dialogue: Text Awakening and Life Practice of Self-Reconstruction
When we reread Our Generation, the most touching aspect lies in the mutual awakening between literature and life. The sentences Guo wrote in Literature is a Door exactly mirror my true experience. For her, literature is a comfort in difficult times; for me, it is also a guide that inspires me to re-examine the course of my life through words. When she mentions being “moved by the sincerity in her college diaries” in Starting from Diaries (Guo 67), I also recall the moments when I wrote diaries late at night. A diary is not only a container for memories, but also a practice of the “technology of the self” as described by Michel Foucault—individuals, through their own efforts, shape their thoughts and behaviors to achieve self-improvement (Foucault115). Jerome Bruner also believes that “humans organize experiences and understand themselves through narratives” (Bruner48). Guo’s advocacy of diary-writing guides writers back to the essence of creation: facing oneself sincerely.
Ideal and Education: Cross-Temporal Resonance in Pursuit of Studies
Coincidentally, Anhui Normal University was once a distant dream of mine. Several years after starting work, I resolutely took the postgraduate entrance examination and applied to this university, finally fulfilling my dream. The words of my supervisor, Professor Yang—“Life should have ideals, and one should pursue them”—resonated deeply with me. Now, walking on the campus, I study with piety and joy. As a Chinese teacher, I am acutely aware that only when I have a wealth of knowledge in my mind can I teach effectively. When I opened Education Through Joy, the scene in the article where the music teacher “played the organ” to teach children’s songs (Guo 45) deeply inspired me: Chinese teaching can also be so joyful and poetic. This touches on the core issues of “lifelong learning” and “teachers as reflective practitioners”. Donald Schön noted that professional growth relies on “reflection-in-action” and “reflection-on-action” (Schön62). My return to campus is precisely an active choice made after reflecting on my teaching practice. Guo Cuihua’s concept of “education through joy” also echoes John Dewey’s view that education should focus on students’ emotional experiences and interest cultivation (Dewey88).
Difficulties and Resistance: Awakening the Resilience of Life
On the path of studying and teaching, I often face pressure and internal conflict. The essay Fighting offered a profound insight: “In the process of growing up, a person will inevitably be bullied and will inevitably rise up to resist... This courage has also been passed down into my daughter’s blood.” (Guo112) This made me reflect on myself. Everyone has two “selves”—one positive and one negative. I must strive to defeat the “negative self”, awaken the courage in my heart, and as Guo stated, learn to “resist” difficulties and cowardice, and “rebuild” myself to be full of vitality. When I began to attempt change, I realized strength surrounds me. As a mother, I am also well aware of the impact of my words and actions on my child, so I strive to model resilience for my child. Guo’s narrative of “resistance” in her works becomes a manifesto for life resilience and subjectivity. This aligns with Martin Seligman’s concept of “psychological resilience”—the ability of individuals to adapt well, recover, and even grow when facing adversity (Seligman73)—and Carol Dweck’s “growth mindset”—the belief that one’s abilities can be continuously improved through effort (Dweck35). “Resisting oneself ” embodies the shift from a “fixed mindset” to a “growth mindset”, representing psychological reconstruction and self-transcendence. As Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi said in Flow, when individuals fully engage in challenging tasks and overcome difficulties, they can achieve inner fulfillment and growth (Csikszentmihalyi85).
Teacher-Student Relationship and Inheritance: The Warm Support of Key Individuals
With a humble learning attitude, I opened The Teacher I Will Never Forget. The description of the teacher who “steered clear of my blind enthusiasm at that time and made the choice he believed was right for my life” (Guo 135) filled my heart with warmth, as if I could see the expectant eyes of my supervisor, Professor Yang. His guidance and encouragement have been my anchor on my academic journey, keeping me from feeling lonely. Robert K. Merton’s “reference group theory” points out that “key individuals” can provide guidance at critical junctures in an individual’s growth and change their development trajectory (Merton92). The teacher depicted by Guo and my Professor Yang are exactly such “key individuals”. What they have constructed is the “problem-posing education” relationship advocated by Paulo Freire, which goes beyond “banking education”—teachers and students learn and grow together in equal dialogue (Freire53). My own experience exemplifies this ideal educational model, embodying education’s most touching essence: one life igniting another. Nel Noddings also said: “The essence of education is care, which is the establishment of a relationship full of love and trust between teachers and students.” (Noddings78) In the future, I aspire to pass on this care to my students and become a “key individual” on their growth journey.
4. Mirroring: The Significance of Reading and Historical Value from a Theoretical Perspective
Guo wrote in the book: “When I wrote these words, I suddenly felt exhausted and at a loss for words... I just patted the dust off history with my hands, lifted a few pages of the past with my fingertips, and then quickly closed them.” (Guo, Main Text) These words reflect reverence for history’s weight and prudence in lingustic expression. For me, rereading Our Generation is a profound act of self-dialogue, framed by theoretical lenses.
(I) Reception Aesthetics: The Dynamic Resonance Between Text and Reader
From the perspective of Hans Robert Jauss’s reception aesthetics, a literary work’s meaning is continuously constructed in the process of readers’ reading (Jauss45). Guo’s words constitute an “appellative structure” for me, activating my literary perception and self-identity. This confirms Wolfgang Iser’s view: Reading is a dynamic interactive process between the text and the reader, and the “blanks” in the text invite readers to draw on their own experiences to jointly participate in the creation of meaning (Iser102). It is through my own life experiences that I have developed a deep resonance with Guo’s words.
(II) Narrative Psychology: Diaries and the Identity Construction of the Self
From a narrative psychology perspective, I further recognize the value of diaries as a tool for self-construction. Bruner emphasizes that “humans are narrative beings; we understand our past, present, and future by telling our own stories” (Bruner67). By keeping a diary, we sort out our emotions and thoughts, and construct a coherent self-identity and life narrative—this is precisely the creative ethos Guo conveys in “Starting from Diaries,” and it mirrors my own experience of recording life late at night.
(III) Lifelong Learning and Reflective Practice: The Dual Mission of Teachers and Students
Taking the theories of lifelong learning and reflective practice as a mirror, I have a clearer understanding of my dual identity and mission as both a teacher and a student. Peter Senge argued that “lifelong learning is an important way for individuals to adapt to social development and realize their self-worth”, and “reflective practice is the core method for professionals to improve their professional abilities” (Senge124). As a student, I need to continuously acquire knowledge to fill the gaps in my cognition; as a Chinese teacher, I must always reflect on my teaching practice—how to make the classroom poetic and joyful like the music teacher depicted by Guo, so that knowledge can truly enter the hearts of students.
(IV) Micro-Historical Materials: The Supplement of Individual Discourse to Grand History
The classic quotes in Our Generation have important reference significance for contemporary historical research. Their core value lies in supplementing the gaps in grand narratives with individual discourse, providing a micro-historical material sample that unites literariness and authenticity for the study of China’s social changes in the mid-to-late 20th century. Firstly, these quotes can bridge the gap between “grand history” and “individual experience”, offering vivid life evidence for historical inquiry. Jürgen Habermas pointed out that “grand historical narratives often overlook the daily experiences of individuals” (Habermas89). However, the quotes in Our Generation, such as “Our generation grew up in the folds of the times” (Guo, Preface) and “Days are like a piece of rough cloth...” (Guo 102), use vivid metaphors to restore the living conditions and spiritual outlook of people in the material-scarce era, providing perceptible life details for the study of 1950s-born intellectuals.
Secondly, these quotes record the spiritual history of the “silent majority” and enrich the dimensions of contemporary ideological history research. Pierre Bourdieu proposed that “the thoughts and practices of ordinary intellectuals are important components of the social and cultural field” (Bourdieu112). The quotes in Our Generation, such as “The responsibility of intellectuals is not only to read and write...” (Guo Cuihua156) and “Youth is not a period of time, but a state of mind...” (Guo145), outline the spiritual coordinates of this generation during the period of social upheaval and transformation, supplementing the attention of contemporary ideological history to the “intermediate group”.
Finally, these quotes carry the emotional resonance of collective memory and provide an emotional dimension reference for social history research. Lawrence Stone emphasized that “the history of emotions is an important part of social history research” (Stone135). The quotes in the book about family affection, growth, and reflections on the era, such as “Family affection is like wine brewed by time...” (Guo124) and “Memories are not for indulging in the past, but for clarifying the path ahead...” (Guo188), contain the collective emotional memory of a generation. They break through the single dimension of “rational analysis” in historical research and provide emotional history analysis materials for social history research. In addition, from the perspective of the practicality of academic research, these quotes are concise in language and clear in theme. They can be used as cases for the mutual verification of literary texts and historical texts, and also serve as core materials for researching interdisciplinary fields such as “prose and contemporary memory writing”.
Conclusion: A Life Book That Transcends Generations
Jauss said that the meaning of a literary work is constructed in the process of readers’ engagement. The value of Our Generation has long transcended that of a “memoir of a generation”. It is like a bridge that spans time and space. For me, it is a spiritual reference for my identity as a teacher. Just as the music teacher depicted by Guo Cuihua “taught while playing the organ” (Guo45), I am also willing to “step on the organ of knowledge” and play a melody of wisdom for my students in the Chinese classroom. For young readers, it is a vital bridge to understand their parents’ generation and the era—through reading, the younger generation can enter the growth world of the “post-1950s generation”, comprehend their perseverance and hardships, and thus achieve emotional communication and spiritual inheritance across generations. For historical researchers, it is even a treasure trove of micro-historical materials—the words about life details and emotional experiences fill the “emotional gaps” beyond the grand narrative and provide vivid individual samples for historical research.
The book closed, the words “by Guo Cuihua” on the yellow and blue cover remain clear. The reason that this prose collection resonates across generations lies in its exploration of universal human propositions: How to remain sober and uphold one’s principles amid the tides of the era? How to sustain life’s resilience in adversity? How to seize the present as time passes by? Guo Cuihua answers these questions through her words: The answers exist in every sincere piece of writing and the love for literature; in every bit of longing for knowledge and the unremitting pursuit of ideals; in the belief of “cherishing every today” (Guo168); and most importantly, in the inheritance of the idea that “memories are not for indulging in the past, but for clarifying the path ahead...” (Guo 188). Guo’s words serve as life annotations to various theoretical propositions, approachable yet profound.
Her writing is not merely about the memories of “their generation”; through readers like me, it is continuously activated, interpreted, and inherited across different times and spaces, thereby gaining vitality that transcends generations. This is perhaps the power of excellent literary works: rooted in a specific era and individual experiences, they can transcend time and space, blooming with unique insights and brilliance in the lives of diverse readers. OurGeneration is undoubtedly such an outstanding work of enduring literary vitality.
Works Cited
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Bourdieu, Pierre. The Field of Cultural Production: Essays on Art and Literature. Translated by Randal Johnson, Columbia University Press, 1993.
Bruner, Jerome. Acts of Meaning. Harvard University Press, 1990.
Guo, Cuihua. Our Generation. Anhui Literature and Art Publishing House, 2018.
Habermas, Jürgen. The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere: An Inquiry into a Category of Bourgeois Society. Translated by Thomas Burger, MIT Press, 1991.
Iser, Wolfgang. The Act of Reading: A Theory of Aesthetic Response. Johns Hopkins University Press, 1978.
Jauss, Hans Robert. Toward an Aesthetic of Reception. Translated by Timothy Bahti, University of Minnesota Press, 1982.
Nabokov, Vladimir. Lectures on Literature. Edited by Fredson Bowers, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1980.
Schön, Donald A. The Reflective Practitioner: How Professionals Think in Action. Basic Books, 1983.
Seligman, Martin E. P. Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment. Free Press, 2002.
White, Hayden. Metahistory: The Historical Imagination in Nineteenth-Century Europe. Johns Hopkins University Press, 1973.
The Author
Dong Cuicui, a lecturer at Ma’anshan Teachers College
Email: 623183211@qq.com