"Water Margin and Romance of the Three Kingdoms: A Decoding of Chinese Literary Classics: A Decoding of Chinese Literary Classics

Author: Wang XueTai
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-01-01
Features: The Water Margin and Romance of the Three Kingdoms cannot withstand the scrutiny of modernity, despite being considered first-class works in art. They are riddled with toxins in their very essence. The former heavily promotes the culture of vagrants and the aesthetics of violence, corrupting the souls of countless "ignorant" individuals. The latter distorts history, glorifies the culture of cunning and strategy, and fosters servile thinking, plunging the Chinese people into the cold and cruel aspects of history from which they cannot escape. Therefore, thoroughly cleansing the ailments of traditional Chinese culture and the toxins in classic literature holds significant practical importance. I believe the articles by Wang XueTai, a researcher at the Institute of Literature of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and Li Xinyu, a director at the School of Literature, Jilin University, will resonate with you.
If The Four Great Classical Novels can be called classics, then Journey to the West and Dream of the Red Chamber are truly classics. The former not only demonstrates the extraordinary imagination of the Chinese people but also artistically portrays the essence of Buddhism and the concept of "karma," embodying the literary spirit of truth, goodness, and beauty. If greatness is the standard, then Dream of the Red Chamber by Cao Xueqin truly qualifies as a great work. It represents the highest achievement of Chinese literature, not only realistically depicting the historical context of its time but also observing the humility and helplessness of individual lives with a compassionate perspective, ultimately permeating the work with profound religious sentiments.
The Water Margin and Romance of the Three Kingdoms cannot withstand the scrutiny of modernity, despite being considered first-class works in art. They are riddled with toxins in their very essence. The former heavily promotes the culture of vagrants and the aesthetics of violence, corrupting the souls of countless "ignorant" individuals. The latter distorts history, glorifies the culture of cunning and strategy, and fosters servile thinking, plunging the Chinese people into the cold and cruel aspects of history from which they cannot escape. Therefore, thoroughly cleansing the ailments of traditional Chinese culture and the toxins in classic literature holds significant practical importance. I believe the articles by Wang XueTai, a researcher at the Institute of Literature of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and Li Xinyu, a director at the School of Literature, Jilin University, will resonate with you.