Aesthetic Narrative: A New Discussion on Wang Erxin

Author: Zhang Jieming
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-03-01
Features: "Aesthetic Narrative," as the name implies, is a definition of the characteristics of narrative in the aestheticism that was popular in the 19th century. Although it is a name given by the author of this paper without much self-consciousness, it indeed reflects an area that has been overlooked in previous studies of aestheticism and Oscar Wilde, or a "forgotten" object of research that has yet to be illuminated by the new light of post-classical or postmodern narratology. When emerging post-classical or postmodern narratology turns its gaze to broader fields related to narrative, narratology is no longer the exclusive domain of linguistic formalism and structuralism. Inspired by this new narratology to "show its expanded scope and its continued validity after becoming more inclusive," and to "emphasize its interdisciplinary nature, which is more difficult to classify and locate," the author employs a combination of methods—classical narratology, literary psychology, literary aesthetics, New Criticism, and cultural anthropology—to analyze the "events" narrated by Wilde under the umbrella of aestheticism: its motivations, mechanisms, and objectives. Under a broader concept of "story" that includes novels, plays, fairy tales, and more, the focus is on the complex interplay between "narrative form and narrative interpretive context," as well as the interplay between "story planning methods and the narrative strategies they guide." For Wilde, "context" refers to both his personal background and aestheticism, meaning that his narrative characteristics are a composite of his life experiences, ethnic identity, individual temperament, and aesthetic ideals. The very multiplicity of his subject necessitates a comprehensive perspective and approach. Aestheticism was both a reaction against the hypocritical social reality of the Victorian era in Britain and a counterbalance to certain shortcomings in realism, romanticism, and naturalism in literature. These factors determined that it was a trend that defied the tide of the times, championed individual freedom, and revered individual development. Based on the idea that narrative dynamics ultimately stem from the author's need for spiritual communication, the author argues that as a representative of aestheticism, Wilde's depiction, narration, and reasoning were primarily driven by his self, shaped by his aesthetic ideals, which included subjective feelings, sensory experiences, and psychological tendencies. Among these, his ethnic background and unique sexual psychology are part of Wilde's individual traits, while concepts such as "aesthetic redemption," his sensory perception of space, and his emphasis on the "instant" in time are more intrinsic to aestheticism. Although aestheticism has close ties to the non-utilitarian and autonomous theories of art in philosophy and aesthetics, the emphasis on the artificiality of art undoubtedly belongs to Wilde. His view that art is "a lie" is a contribution to aestheticist theory. In Wilde's view, all art is ultimately a human-made product, and imagination is the constructive mechanism that warrants its affirmation and celebration. The goal of aestheticism is to guide people's lives with art that is more beautiful than reality, using the spirit of art to process life. It is precisely because it is a lie that it ignores the truth, and it is because it is a lie that it relies on imagination. Natural imitation is thus rejected. The fabricated "lies," the purely fictional worlds, and the extraordinary figures in his novels, fairy tales, plays, and critical texts are all interpretations of his theory of art as a lie. This paper analyzes his narrative mechanism, which is dominated by imagination, through the abundant plots, ironic scenes, expressive worlds, restless souls, and conceptualized aesthetic principles in his works. Aestheticism has certain historical connections with various literary movements that pursue artistic form, but most aestheticists, including Wilde, differ significantly from formalists in the modern sense. Wilde's emphasis on form was largely a creation or choice of concept, differing from the dominant literary trends and methods of his time. He believed that literature was "individualistic," and thus his disdain for mainstream norms, his preconceived transformation of life logic, his independent exploration of suspense in traditional drama, his fondness for metamorphosis and the pursuit of superficial sensory pleasure through correspondence and repetition, and his remarkable linguistic craftsmanship—all are closely tied to his various aesthetic ideals and his pursuit of innovative artistic ideals. Wilde was a highly theoretical writer, as well as a writer with a homosexual inclination whose influential plays are often considered non-aestheticist, just one of many complex factors. Therefore, after comprehensively reviewing and clarifying the aesthetic narrative characteristics in all of his works, and after cross-referencing his narrative practice with his aesthetic theory, the conclusion that emerges naturally is that Wilde made unique contributions in various aspects of art and life, its functions, expressions, pursuits, and criticism. His critical theory and his understanding of literary language make him an undeniable artist with modern significance.