Novel And Enlightenment: Studies On French Novels From 1750 To 1789

Fiction is an old genre of narrative literature. Nevertheless, it is not until the formation of modern society that it rises up to be the dominant one. Enlightenment movement as the start point of modern western society,plays an important role in this process.On the one hand, the society situation and history environments it causes provide objective conditions for the rise of novel. On the other hand,also the more intrinsic one is that, the principles of subjectivity and reason of enlightenment change fundamentally the narrative patterns of novel so that this genre can bear the mission of the spiritual exploration of modern individual.In this period, flexibility and openness of the novel forms and the born features of its resistance to orthodox and mainstream narration are combined with the reflection and critics on religious superstition, traditional bias, rigid system,customs and morals,which pushes greatly the deepen, spread, evolution and exploration of enlightenment thoughts. Meanwhile,the philosophy thinking in fictional narration predicts the focus shift of modern philosophy to the question of human being in realistic situation.Voltaire, Rousseau and Diderot are the core persons of French enlightenment. They are the main founders of narrative types of enlightenment novel too. Each of them creates a special way of narration to meet his own thoughts. Their original works not only contains internal logic of enlightenment narration but also implied its division, limitation and paradox.They have great significance in the history of novle and western thoughts.Voltaire, on the basis of folk literature, creates the fable of enlightenment,which implicates the wakening of individual's mind and his suspect and irony upon superfitious concepts. However, Voltaire's principle of reason based on deism and empiricism can not finally implement the richness of modern subject, which indicates the crisis of Voltaire's enlightenment attitude instead. Rousseau,tries to eliminate completely the cover of civilization and customs, and recovery the good nature of human being. He commits to construct a kind of independent, self-discipline and self-fulfilled moral system and spiritual world, which marks the transtion of enlightenment concept to subjectivity. While the narrative control and inter-reveal among multiple perspectives in his epistolary novel proves that transparent subject without any shelter is factually fictional. Diderot concernes more the freedom of individuals and the realization of their emotions and desire.He targetes to destroy the provisions and precepts of religion, mind,customs and morals which suppress and deceive people. Nevertheless, his materialism is not infiltrated into his ethics thoughts.The conversation form indicates his dialectical thoughts promoted by various contradictory requests, which finally leads to the collapse of the limit of enlightenment. Laclo and Sade are writers in late period of the movement.Their works reflect the complex influence and differentiation of enlightenment thoughts. All these novels are general reflection on modern life as well as the combination of the author's life experience and mental exploration. The profound and paranoid of these enlightenment philosophers brings up various, but all problematic and paradox narrative forms.Especially,the question of subjectivity, the relation of reason and belief, moral feelings and secular desire, individual freedom and general rules, as the core of enlightenment narration,is full of paradox and self-reflexivity. The energy of enlightenment narrative mainly comes from its negative side.Enlightenment is a historical society and cultural movement. It has ever been narrowly understood as synonym of slogans such as reason,science,order, freedom,democracy and philanthropy etc. However, enlightenment should be widely understood as a kind of self-reflection, self-critical and eternal request of the fulfilment and implementation of human being. Enlightenment thus goes beyond cultural limits and ideology. It is a future-oriented and never-ended process which must prevent itself from rigidity and stagnation, or backing to new myth.Correspondingly,the evolution of enlightenment narrative is always connected with the divaration and resistance to absolute and integrative narrative. Novel must be kept away from the danger of institutionalization or vulgarization. It should grasp the life conditions of individuals in the history of society, culture and mind to keep its openness and advance.The thesis composes of six chapters. The first one is a general introduction of enlightenment and the rise of French novel. The second to the fifth chapter are separate analysis of representative novels of Voltaire,Rousseau,Diderot,Laclo and Sade. The final chapter is a conclusion of the history of enlightenment narrative and its inspiration to enlightenment question in nowadays China.