Abstract:  

This thesis explores how Chinese novelists in the early 21st century address the theme of “crime and punishment” in their literary works by taking Liu Zaifu and Lin Gang’s Sin and Literature (Zuiyuwenxue 罪与文学) as the starting point. It focuses on the genre of confessional literature and analyzes three full-length novels - The Four Books (Sishu 四书), In the Mirror (Jingzhong 镜中), and Top of the Mountains (Qunshanzhidian 群山之巅) — to compare cultural, gender, and writer differences. The goal is to provide a comprehensive overview of Chinese confessional literature and discuss the following questions: Can Chinese confessional literature be globally relevant? What are its unique characteristics? Furthermore, is it necessary to include female consciousness in confessional literature?

Based on the investigation, I assert that although Eastern and Western cultures can be mutually syncretised, the thinking in the Chinese context has its own expressive attributes. Novelists can identify the inherent flaws in Chinese culture by examining it through the lens of universal human values and discovering its internal cultural origins. Regarding gender thinking in confessional literature, gender inequality between men and women is not only present in politics, economy, culture, and daily life but also deeply ingrained in the soul.

This study affirms that in the 21st century, a group of writers has emerged in China who recognize that a defect of the Chinese literary tradition is the absence of dialogue about the soul dimension. They consciously delve into the inner universe of human beings, facing the hidden inner conflicts and soul loss that contemporary literature encounters. Nowadays, there remains a profound demand for literary works that engage with the spiritual dimension, and blind spots in the soul field of literature, such as gender, also persist.