Chinese Fictions About Overseas Things

Abroad materials-about fictions in Chinese literature were studied. Their writting, spread and acceptance at different dynasties were investigated. The scheme of their development, aspect and purpose were figured out.In the introduction section, the objective and subjective factors affecting the abroad materials-about fictions writting were discussed. It was pointed out that the most essential cause for the great difference between the ancient and modern abroad materials-about fictions is the vastly different historic background. At the end of this section, the source of the researching materials and the insufficiency of this thesis were indicated.According to above-mentioned reason, the thesis was divided into two parts, the first part for the ancient abroad materials-about fictions (before 1840) and the second part for the modern ones (1840-1911).In the first chapter, abroad materials-about fictions before Qin Dynasty (221 BC) was discussed.Shan-Hai Classic and Mu Tianzi Biography were the most important two abroad materials-about fictions of this period. The authors were the wizards or shanmans, who controlled the culture of the kingdom, so these fictions had obvious practical and political purpose, which made it as textbook for the tribe members.From Qin dynasty to the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the writers of abroad materials-about fictions were no longer the nobile wizards or shanmans, but the mean warlocks and alchemists. As a result, the purpose of their writting abroad materials-about fictions turned to pursing political rights for themselves. In order to get this aim, they needed to favor the rulers and acquire the common people's worship, so the immortal and immortal world in their fictions became more and more beautiful and attractive.Tang dynasty enjoyed the heydays of ancient China and the bloom of international communications. The abroad materials-about fictions had also gotten vast development during this period. A lot of new subjects and writting styles emerged and the scholars became the writers.However, abroad materials-about fictions met a big depression during Song and Yuan dynasty, in spite of the prosperous international trade in Song and vast territory of Yuan. The reasons attributed to the passive and depressive attitude of the writers. The subjects of abroad materials-about fictions focus on exotic experience and exotic people.Because of the emperors' favorite for religions and the mergence of three major religions, religious topics became the major subject of abroad materials-about fictions in Ming Dynasty. At the same time, the status of fictions increased greatly as the result of the popularity of Yangming's idealistic aesthetics, and the number of readers also increased as the result of city expansion.The seclusion diplomatic policy, severe culture autocracy and prosperity of textology made the absurd allegorical fictions and talent-exhibiting fictions the major two type abroad materials-about fictions in former Qing dynasty .The primary scheme of abroad materials-about fictions development from former Qin dynasty to former Qing dynasty was figured out in the first part. And then these fictions was summarized according to their authors, spread and acceptance.In the second part, the modern Chinese abroad materials-about fictions (1840-1911) was investigated.The abroad materials-about fictions written between 1840 to 1900 did not show obvious changes except some hints of influences from western culture invasion. While when time came to 20th century, the abroad materials-about fictions got great development, and then the causes were discussedIn the following chapters, abroad materials-about fictions of later Qing dynasty was investigated separately according to the following topics: firstly, the miserable life of Chinese people abroad as workers or students and the rich but shameful, slavishly and abnormal life of compradors; secondly, the evil invasive wars started by the imperialistic nations and diplomacy situation of China; thirdly, the historic story of foreign and imaginary nations; fourthly, the spread and acceptance of exotic culture.The differences between ancient and modern abroad materials-about fictions in writting, spread and acceptance were summarized in the next chapter. It could be concluded that the Chinese abroad materials-about fictions leap greatly in the modern time and reach the climax. On the other hand, most of these abroad materials-about fictions faced the shortcoming of lack of art value.The thesis was summarized in the last chapter, The differences between ancient and modern abroad materials-about fictions were emphasized again from the view of comparative literature. And the developing scheme of abroad materials-about fictions was indicated from the view of fiction history.