The Path to Prosperity in the Novel "Me and My Destiny" (2021) by Chinese Writer Liang Xiaosheng

This article analyzes the novel "Me and My Destiny" (2021) by the Chinese writer Liang Xiaosheng (b. 1949). Particular attention is paid to the reflection of the dynamic life of Chinese society during the era of economic changes in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. As the action unfolds across multiple settings, including a poor village and Shenzhen as it develops into a modern metropolis, this literary text reflects the ways of achieving prosperity in different social strata. The novel's central theme of the path to prosperity originates from the "literature of reforms" popular in China in the 1980s, when the first literary experiments were a response to Deng Xiaoping's reforms, the majority of which were aimed at combating poverty. The second wave of socio-economic transformations in the PRC began with Xi Jinping's rise to power in autumn 2012, who formulated the idea of the "Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation." Through the application of content analysis and quantitative lexical analysis of the text, the issues and themes that concern Liang Xiaosheng were identified. The significance of the theme of enrichment and poverty alleviation is confirmed by the fact that the word "money" is used 428 times. For comparison, the word "destiny", which is part of the novel's title, is used 155 times. Liang Xiaosheng's novel "Me and My Destiny" is the author's latest work and has not yet been studied in Russian scholarship. The study demonstrates a comprehensive reflection in the novel of the main stages of China's economic development from the 1980s to the 2010s, making it a valuable source of cultural and sociological information about sentiments in Chinese society. The focus on the theme of poverty alleviation aligns with both China's social and cultural agenda and the objectives of the reform and opening-up policy. However, the novel does not bear the hallmarks of a commissioned work but is rather a manifestation of the author's civic and creative stance. Comparing Liang Xiaosheng's novel with the works of Dong Xi, Liu Zhenyun, Mo Yan, and Sheng Keyi, it is evident that while depicting inequality and labor migration, the author emphasizes the successful overcoming of material and moral challenges.