Should every mainland artist or intellectual who has achieved prominence shout at the top of their lungs against the central authorities and become, inevitably thereafter, dissidents?
Some foreign critics and mainland dissidents seem to think so. And that seems to be the gist of their criticisms against Mo Yan since he won this year's Nobel Prize for literature.
Much has been made by his critics about his pen name, which means silence or say nothing. But his name might have been meant ironically, since as a prolific writer, he has been anything but silent? Or that silence itself can be a statement?
We like to think those with a great gift in the arts or sciences must also be good people. Unfortunately, that is not a requirement. The annals of world literature, philosophy and science are littered with men of genius who were complete bastards.
Being awful human beings does not impair the quality of their work. It's often the good and the brave who fail to raise their works beyond mediocrity.
Mo has been criticised for taking part in a hand-copying of Mao Zedong's famous Yan'an Talks on Literature and Art in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the speech.