The Prototypes and Motifs of Ancient Chinese Novels

Author: Wu Guangzheng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-10-01
Features: Ancient Chinese novels exhibit diverse forms and rich content, embodying profound cultural and life-related significance. Analyzing their content, distinguishing their types, and exploring their archetypes are not only important aspects of literary research but also significant in cultural anthropology studies. This book provides a systematic and comprehensive examination of 11 religious story types in ancient Chinese novels, systematically and deeply tracing their origins and developmental processes, thereby exploring the cultural and narrative significance and value of these religious stories. The 11 story types are: High Monk and Beauty, Cause and Effect, Descent to Earth for Tribulation, Enlightenment and Immortalization, Immortalization Trials, Saving the World and Exorcising Demons, Inheriting the Ancestral Lineage, Human-Devil Love, Human-Ghost Love, Monkey (Monkey Wedding), and Miraculous Birth and Strange Appearance. Through systematic and comprehensive examination, the author points out that sexual desire tests and cause and effect are two major narrative motifs in Buddhist Buddhist discourse, as well as two core story types in Buddhism, representing the mythical expression of Buddhist asceticism and retribution theory in textual form. Monkey story is a product of ancient totem worship, Miraculous Birth and Strange Appearance story is a product of ancient primitive religion combined with medieval political religion, Inheriting the Ancestral Lineage story is both a product of ancestor worship and a product of Confucianism as an ethical religion, Human-Ghost Love and Human-Devil Love stories are products of ancient ghost worship and ancient natural worship, respectively. Descent to Earth for Tribulation, Enlightenment and Immortalization, Immortalization Trials, and Saving the World and Exorcising Demons are the four major narrative motifs and four core story types in Taoist immortal discourse. Thus, the author clearly outlines the origins and evolutionary development of these 11 types of religious stories, as well as their respective cultural and narrative values.