The Disenfranchised Culture of the Lower Literati: Wealth, Status, and Transcendence of Elite Cultur
Humanities
History 194M
My research paper centers on a close analysis of Shen Fu’s Six Records of a Life Adrift, using his account as a window into the culture of the lower literati during late Qing China. The quota system of the civil service exam limited the number of classically educated men who could pass the civil service exams. Shen Fu and others like him turned to alternate means of employment to earn a living, all the while attempting to live up to their status as the cultural elites of China: the literati. Indoctrinated from birth to embody the literati lifestyle, Shen Fu still aspires to the trappings of elite culture, yet often fails to financially. He and his wife Yun transcend certain aspects of elite culture, producing and manifesting their own divergent culture: the disenfranchised culture of the lower literati. They push against the rigid social norms which define their society and consequently are punished for their transgressions.
The broad historical conjunctions taking place in China towards the end of the 18th century (flourishing trade and booming population growth, as well as ecological disasters and official corruption), can be contextualized through the writings of Shen Fu. The marginalization of millions of lower literati must be seen in the context of these overarching changes. A new culture divergent from the traditional elites was arising, as the lower literati branched into art, trade, and particularly contact with foreigners. The Confucian social hierarchy, the foundation of all Chinese society, was straining to accommodate these disenfranchised elites. Shen Fu’s account offers a glimpse into these changes in Chinese society, and the transition to “modernity”.
