Research and Appreciation of the Romance of the West Chamber

Author: Jiang Xingyu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: The core of this book consists of three parts: "Scene Appreciation," "Character Analysis," and "Adaptation and Performance." "Scene Appreciation" includes four articles. The first is "How Zhang Sheng Discovers, Appreciates, and Praises the Beauty of Yingying," which sets the opening of The Story of the Western Chamber. It describes how Zhang Sheng discovers, appreciates, and praises Yingying's beauty from different distances and angles—her facial beauty, physical grace, movements, demeanor, and spiritual charm—and becomes utterly captivated, deciding to pursue her. The second is "Using Misunderstandings to Enhance Comedic Atmosphere." When readers and audiences see Zhang Sheng's confident interpretation of the poem "Bright Moon on the Third Night" before he jumps the wall, and his clumsy situation afterward, they can't help but laugh—it is arguably the funniest scene in the entire play. The third is "A Scene That Fully Displays Hongniang's Wit and Agility," titled "Skillful Debate Before the Hall" in solo performances, often referred to as "Torturing Hongniang." The interrogator is the head of the family, the old lady, and the interrogated is the maid, Hongniang. This is true both in terms of learning and in terms of form. Another article, "The Impact of The Story of the Western Chamber on Sexual Taboos," focuses on "A Joyful Meeting Under the Moon." This scene is also performed as a solo piece but is not the most common one. Because the "Scene Appreciation" articles provide a detailed analysis of the personalities and inner worlds of Yingying and Zhang Sheng, as well as necessary explanations of their actions and behaviors, the "Character Analysis" section does not list specific topics but instead discusses and analyzes Hongniang, the music boy, the old lady, and the monks of the Universal Rescue Temple. Among these, Hongniang's importance surpasses that of the other music boys, and her influence on modern society is also the greatest, so more is said about her.