Which friend can explain the difference between "people's literature" and "popular literature"?

There were many other ways to define popular literature online, so there was no need to list them out. The key was to know the specific definition of "people's literature"(not the name of the magazine). What kind of literature was considered "people's literature"? Was the group referred to by the people exactly the same as the group referred to by the masses? Thank you!

Answer 1

"People's literature" and "popular literature" were two different literary schools and concepts in the history of Chinese literature.

"People's literature" refers to novels, poems, essays, and other literary works that reflect the lives, thoughts, feelings, and cultural needs of the people with the purpose of serving the people. It emphasized the social responsibility and aesthetic value of literature and aimed to provide spiritual food and cultural heritage for the people. In Chinese history, the representative figures of "people's literature" were Lu Xun, Lao She, Ba Jin, etc.

" Popular literature " referred to literary works that aimed to meet the needs of the masses and the pursuit of economic benefits and commercial success for the market and readers. It emphasized the commercial and utility of literature, pursued the recognition and acceptance of the market and readers, and aimed to provide entertainment and consumption for the public. In the history of China, the representative figures of "popular literature" were Jin Yong, Gu Long, Qiong Yao, etc.

Although "people's literature" and "popular literature" both referred to literary works, there were obvious differences in their purposes, objectives, audiences, and aesthetic standards.