The Transformation of Narrative Patterns in Chinese Fiction

Author: Chen Pingyuan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-07-01
Features: This book is rooted in the tradition of Chinese literature and the status of fiction during the late Qing and May Fourth periods. Drawing on Tzvetan Todorov's narrative theory, it combines "pure formal narrative studies with novel sociological research that takes cultural context into account" from three aspects: narrative time, narrative perspective, and narrative structure. This book pioneers the application of narrative theory in mainland China, leading to the publication of monographs on the subject. One of the major aspirations of this book is to bridge the gap between internal literary research and external research. By combining pure formal narrative studies with novel sociological research that focuses on cultural context, and through extensive preparatory work, the author aimed to achieve this goal. However, the final result did not fully meet expectations. Therefore, only the chapter on the written form of the novel was retained as an appendix, while the less mature parts were omitted. This book is the author's doctoral dissertation, and from the selection of the topic to the final writing, it was always under the meticulous guidance of my advisor, Professor Wang Yao.