China and the West

A, Ying. Yibusheng di zuo pin zai Zhongguo [ID D26357].
A Ying schreibt : "For the purpose of commemorating Ibsen, a grand memorial ceremony was held in Beijing jointly by the Chinese People's Association for Foreign Cultural Exchanges, the Federation of Chinese Writers and Chinese Dramatists. A conference was also organized by the National Libraryof Beijing the the Peijing People's Cultural Centre. Meanwhile, there was an exhibition at the Nationa Library displaying pictures and books on Ibsen in different languages of the world. The People's Literature Publishing House reprinted the two-volume translation of Ibsen's works by Pan Jiaxun. Essays devoted to the memory of Ibsen appeared in many newspapers and journals. Such activities had never taken plac in China before.
Ibsen lived in the time when capitalism was developing. In his works a picture of the development of capitalism was provided. He was dissatisfied with the social phenomena of his time, and he, therefore, incisively exposed the dark sides of capitalist society. This was especially prominent in the third period of his works, which not only heightened Ibsen's reputation, but also exerted a great influence upon European literature. For instance, in The pilars of society, he unmasked the so-called pillars who were hypocrites and selfish. Ibsen purposedly mocked the socially superior and reputable classes which were expliting the masses. In A doll's hous, he again induced women to become independent persons, and not dolls. This play had a certain influence on the women who were fighting for their rights in Europe.
In his plays, a glimpse of the rebellious spirit against the society he lived in can be obtained. On the one hand, he coldly unravelled the ugliness of capitalist society. On the other, he also discovered that the labour movement and socialist movement in Scandinavia were about to develop. Hence, reflected in his later works is the idea that 'redemption of the world can only come from the labour classes'. From this idea sprang the six symbolist plays, among which were The lady from the sea and When we dead awaken.
Today the Chinese people begin to have a thorough understanding of Ibsen. We are no longer satisfied with the bourgeois viewpoints, prevalent in the May fourth period when Ibsen was introduced. Nor can we accept the anti-historical-materialistic view that Ibsen is greater than Shakespeare. Among those bourgeois critics, some have made much progress since and have obtained a new understanding of Ibsen ; yet there are sill some - for exemple Hu Shi, Lin Yutang and Luo Jialun - who have betrayed the Chinese people and Ibsen, and became the slaves of imperialism and counter-revolutionaires. Actually, even in the May fourth period, it had never occurred to them that the lasting brilliance of Ibsen as a great master of art lies chiefly in the fact that he was a patriot, in his unfailing effort in promoting world peace and welfare, and in his love of the cultural heritage of his home country. Through his works, he revealed without reservation the defects of capitalism and the corruption of the capitalists. It is for this reason that Ibsen will remain forever in the heart of the Chinese people."