A historical and specific exploration of the interior of Yan’an literature and art reveals the few prominent characteristics of its pursuit of modernity. In the special context of war, Yan’an literature and art showed an obvious identity between revolutionary modernity and national modernity to help construct a modern Chinese nation. In this connection, the modernity of Yan’an literature and art didn’t merely involve individual emancipation and personality liberation, but, entangled between revolutionary utterances and political utilitarian gain, constructed a Chinacharacteristic realm of modern literature through continuous reflections on western modernity and historical culture of the Chinese nation. In a word, the course of modernity of Yan’an literature and art contains profound historical implications and meanwhile shows inevitable historical limitations.

Yan’an literature and art; modernity; literary enlightenment; literature and politics