中国的"国民性"在很大程度上其实就是"农民性"。然而,歧视农民的思潮也一直广为流传,耐人寻味。莫言猛烈抨击过歧视农民的言论,对"农民意识"进行了辩证的分析。他不仅在为人与写作等方面都体现出"农民意识"的丰富与复杂,而且表达了对农民文化时而认同、弘扬,时而反思、批判的复杂立场。他的相关论述与作品,实际上体现了作家在"弘扬民族魂"还是"改造国民性"之间的彷徨。
Chinese mentality usually means "peasant' s personality". But it is intriguing that peasants are usually discriminated in China. Mo Yan has criticized fiercely such prejudice and given a dialectical insight into so-called "peasant's mentality. He has not only expressed a new understanding of the complexity of"peatant' s mentality", but also implies his complex attitudes. So his stories actually show that he has maintained an ambivalent attitude to "celebrating or remaking the Chinese national personality".