Roulin Wai Shi

Author: Wu Jingzi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-01-11
Features: The Story of the Scholars focuses on depicting "the scholar world," with tangential references to the bureaucratic politics and social customs of the time. Criticizing the imperial examination system that selected officials based on the Eight-legged essay, the book reveals the severe crises in spiritual morality and cultural education in the declining feudal society, which constitutes the main theme of the work. The Story of the Scholars is an outstanding realistic satirical novel from China's Qing Dynasty, primarily depicting the activities and spiritual appearances of intellectuals and officials in the late feudal society. Originally composed of fifty-five chapters, the current widely circulated edition has fifty-six chapters. The critical target of The Story of the Scholars is primarily the imperial examination system that selected officials based on the Eight-legged essay. The work portrays a group of scholars obsessed with the exams, pursuing "success and wealth," and satirizes the extreme hypocrisy and detrimental social customs caused by their obsession with fame and fortune. This held significant practical and educational implications at the time. Its language is precise, vivid, and concise; the characters are skillfully crafted and lifelike, with a masterful and brilliant satirical technique, achieving a high level of artistic excellence. Mr. Lu Xun believed that the emergence of The Story of the Scholars marked the beginning of a work worthy of being called a true satire. The Story of the Scholars was written by Wu Jingzi, styled Min Gan, from Quanjiang, Anhui. He keenly perceived the dark politics and corrupt social atmosphere of his time and, through his writing, revealed and powerfully critiqued the ugly realities, demonstrating a liberal democratic thought.