In the 1920s and 1930s, proletarian revolutionary literature was strongly advocated and developed. In this process, it puts forward the requirements of literary realism, such as strengthening the contact with the real life of workers and peasants, consciously revealing the historical development trend and expressing proletarian ideals, and introduces and advocates theories such as "new realism", "socialist realism" and "revolutionary realism". Revolutionary realism literature is facing a brand-new task in its own historical development: how to unify the ideological requirements of the proletariat, that is, the tendency and the artistic authenticity of the works; How to understand and solve the contradiction between the historical requirements of workers, peasants and soldiers and the writer's unfamiliarity with the life of workers and peasants? Revolutionary literary and art circles have made great efforts to solve this historical problem in theory and artistic practice, but at the same time they have made theoretical mistakes and creative tendencies that deviate from realism and conceptualization. Revolutionary realism literature is becoming more and more mature in the process of constantly overcoming its own mistakes, and has made new breakthroughs in creative practice, resulting in Mao Dun's iconic work Midnight, in which Ba Jin, Lao She, Cao Yu, Ding Ling, Zhang Tianyi,,,,, Li, Xiao Hong, Xiao Jun, Yin Fu, Pu Feng, Ai Qing, Cang Kejia and Xia Yan appeared. They all made important contributions to the development of realistic art with representatives who reflected the depth of reality and mature art. Writers such as Shen Congwen, Dai Wangshu, Shi Zhecun and He Qifang made various artistic discussions in order to absorb artistic nutrition such as romanticism, symbolism and modernism. The gains and losses of their theory and artistic practice provide valuable experience for the colorful development of modern literature.
The Anti-Japanese War of National Liberation and the War of Liberation further strengthened the connection between writers and real life, and writers of various schools and creative methods turned to revolutionary realism, which in turn promoted the development of revolutionary realism in the direction of reflecting the depth, breadth and diversity of reality. The poetry creation of Ai Qing and "July Poetry School", the novel creation of Mao Dun, Ba Jin, Lao She and Lu Ling, and the drama creation of Cao Yu, Chen, Song Zhi and Wu Zuguang represent the new level of revolutionary realism art in this period. The creation of historical drama represented by Guo Moruo's Qu Yuan is another peak of revolutionary romantic art after Goddess.
During the same period, writers in revolutionary base areas went deep into the life of workers, peasants and soldiers for a long time and participated in practical struggles, which initially solved the contradiction between the historical requirements of expressing workers, peasants and soldiers and the writers' unfamiliarity with their lives, and made new creative achievements. Zhao Shuli's Disciple Rules, Li Youcai's Half Flowers, Ding Ling's The Sun Shines on the Sanggan River, Zhou Libo's The Tempest, Li Ji's Wang Gui and Li Xiangxiang and other works have provided useful experience for the development of revolutionary realism literature in the socialist period in terms of expressing workers, peasants and soldiers, striving to achieve the unity of distinct ideological tendencies and artistic authenticity. He Jingzhi and Yi Ding's White-haired Girl and other works show the trend of combining revolutionary realism with revolutionary romanticism.
The great historical changes brought about by the founding of New China and the people's conscious efforts to be masters of the country and create history have provided a solid foundation for the development of socialist literature. New China writers insist on reflecting life truly, historically and in the process of realistic change and development, and consciously regard revolutionary realism, that is, socialist realism, as the most fundamental creative principle and method. After a long period of artistic practice, the leading style and characteristics of the literature representing the new socialist China gradually formed in 1950s and 1960s, that is, paying attention to the significance and times of the theme, consciously pursuing the epic of "deep thinking" and "wide historical content", exploring the nationality of historical depth, creating a magnificent artistic realm and inspiring the fighting spirit drawn from the historical process. These thoughts and artistry are quite distinct and prominent in such excellent works as Red Flag Spectrum, History of Entrepreneurship, Hongyan and Teahouse. Although the literature in this period lacked diversified development, and there were deviations in whitewashing reality, the initial formation of the dominant style with China's national characteristics and the characteristics of the times undoubtedly showed the increasingly mature trend of China's socialist literature.