Communications in Humanities Research ISSN: 2753-7072
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Research Article

Collective Emotion and Memory Construction in Chinese Web Literature from the Perspective of Assmann's Theory

Qiwen WangZhejiang University*

* Corresponding author: [email protected]

Abstract

Literature has long been an important way for popular culture to express itself. As the internet has developed rapidly, Chinese online literature has formed its own special aesthetic style. It has become a key part of today's cultural scene and an important carrier of people's shared feelings and social memories. Based on Jan Assmann's theory of cultural memory, this paper uses case studies and textual analysis to explore how online literature builds collective emotions. It shows how online literature turns personal experiences into group identity through emotional belonging, symbolic participation, and platform influence, and in this way forms a decentralized system of collective memory.The study shows that online literature not only changes how traditional cultural memory is formed but also creates new "sites of memory" in digital space. By strengthening individual memory and bringing people's collective emotions together through external guidance, it forms a complete cycle in the construction of collective memory.

Keywords: Assmann; cultural memory; web literature; memory construction; emotional community
Published: September 24, 2025
DOI: 10.54254/2753-7064/2025.ND27024
Volume: CHR Vol.83
pp. 59-67
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