Research on the Narrative Patterns of Scholar-Artisan and Beauty Novels in the Early Qing Dynasty -- Sanlian Cultural and Art Studies Series

Author: Qiu Jiangning
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-07-01
Features: This book primarily uses Russian Formalist theory as its theoretical basis, with estrangement (a core concept of Russian Formalism) as the fundamental measure. It examines the narrative patterns of specific works in the "talented scholars and beautiful ladies" genre, comparing these patterns vertically with the narrative modes of previous literary works. The aim is to expand and deepen the study of this genre through new theories and perspectives, and to provide a more accurate evaluation of its creation.
From the perspective of the creation of "talented scholars and beautiful ladies" novels in the early Qing Dynasty, studying their production from the narrative pattern angle is feasible and productive. This is because, based on the research of early works such as Yu Jiao Li and Ping Shan Ling Yan, this genre emerged during the last decades of the Shunzhi era and the early Kangxi era in the Qing Dynasty, primarily concentrated in the Jiangnan region.
Considering the social conditions of Jiangnan during that time, it differs significantly from the descriptions in these novels. Therefore, if one studies the creation of "talented scholars and beautiful ladies" novels from a sociological angle or focuses on the content and ideas reflected in the novels, it would not provide a realistic evaluation of this genre.