「七七級」書寫「七七級」──論韓少功《修改過程》的後設敘述

Writing on ''Class of 1977'' in China: The Metanarrative of Han Shaogong's Modification

「七七級」即1977年中國大陸恢復高考後的首屆大學生。韓少功最新的長篇小說《修改過程》正是以此作為故事主人公，講述主角利用同為「七七級」的同學作為人物原型，寫作網絡小說。本文首先指出《修改過程》不僅以一篇小說的創作過程作為題材，更刻意強調小說人物的虛構性質、揭露故事情節的剪接，以及展現從現實到小說的轉化過程。本文認為這些敘述具有自我指涉的功能，因此視之為一種後設敘述，並配合西方後設小說理論，說明韓氏由此反思小說創作的本質。本文其後將這部小說視為韓氏對於自身創作歷程的回顧，分析其寫作路上的「修改過程」。韓氏過往提出對自己的作品作出「修補性」修訂，本文認為《修改過程》有如將這種「修補性」修訂具體呈現。此外，本文亦指出小說一方面敘述「七七級」的故事，回溯「文革」後的歷史，但另一方面通過「擬假」的敘述，解構其真實性。本文配合作者過往有關「傷痕文學」的批評，說明《修改過程》延續作者一直以來對於以小說記錄歷史的質疑。本文通過將西方後設小說理論挪用至記錄中國當代歷史的後設小說，指出《修改過程》的研究意義不僅在於補充韓少功筆下知青文學對「七七級」的忽略，更希望為新世紀以來回顧「八十年代」的研究提供新的參照。

In 1977¸China restored the National College Entrance Examination. ''Class of 1977'', speaking for itself, means the first cohort of students admitted to universities since the Cultural Revolution. Modification is the latest novel by Han Shaogong about how a writer from ''Class of 1977'' wrote a web fiction based on his cohorts. On the theme of novel creation process, Modification places particular emphasis on the fictionality of characters, reveals the editing of plots and shows the transformation from reality to fiction. Such narratives serve a self-reference function, thus being regarded as metanarratives. With the use of Western literary theory on metafiction, this article explains Han's reflections upon the nature of novel writing. It is further stated that Modification is indeed about Han's looking back on his writing journey and ''the modification process'' on such journey will be analyzed. Han, back in 2008, made ''polishing'' amendments to his own works and explained his principles behind. In Modification, this kind of ''polishing'' amendment is clearly illustrated. On the one hand, stories of ''Class of 1977'' are narrated in this novel with the post-Cultural Revolution history as the story background; but on the other hand there are narratives examining the authenticity by ''stating the untruths''. With reference to Han's past critiques of ''scar literature'', this article points out that Modification carries on demonstrating Han's lingering doubt over writing history through novels. By applying Western metafiction theory to the metafiction of contemporary Chinese history, it is revealed that the study of Modification not only has its value in enriching Han's stories of ''Class of 1977'' about the educated youth, it also aims to provide the research trend of literature review in the 1980s with a fresh perspective for reference.