This thesis is an attempt to call into question the left wing literary criticism dominated by
vulgar Marxism and,with a case study of Cao Yu, to reinterpret the left wing literature. In
consideration of Cao''s overwhelming influence and subversive power,the first chapter is
devoted to the popularity of Cao''s plays,with an intensive review of researches on Cao Yu
over different periods of time both within and outside Mainland China,such as Hong Kong,
Taiwan,Japan,Europe and the U.S.A. The purpose is to prove the widespread and deep
influence of Cao''s plays,and to reveal an almost absolute control of ideology on literature.
The second chapter is concerned with the entangled relationship between literature and politics
in general,with emphasis on Chinese Communist Party''s art strategy and its theoretical
backgrounds with which it manipulated at will the intellectuals before and after the establishment
of its regime.
From chapter three to chapter five is an exploration of Cao''s bitter life as a whole.It is about how
an enthusiastic youth nurtured by the May 4th Movement-- a genius standing at the convergence
and collision of Chinese and Western cultures -- should fade early at the hand of political
manipulation. From chapter six to chapter twelve is an analysis of Cao''s seven plays divided into
three periods -- before the eight-year Sino-Japanese War,during this war,and after Chinese
Communist Party''s seizure of the regime. These chapters analyze, respectively, each of these plays''
exploration into the realms of Chinese society, life and politics. Finally,the conclusion, summarizes
the foregoing discussions with its focus on the intellectual''s role in the modern Chinese society.