Jin Shengtan Details Of The Theory

Jin Shengtan is a great critic to the history of Chinese literary criticism, and his comments on"Water Margin","Romance of the Western Bower", etc, are important objects of Chinese ancient literary criticism. One important purpose of the research on Jin Shengtan is getting to know the condition of ancient literary criticism and summarizing the theory shape of literary criticism through the study of his comments, so as to explore to Chinese traditional literary criticism. If examine the theory shape from a small cut, we will analyze the characteristic of this shape and approach the substance of the matter easily.The research object of this paper is Jin Shengtan's"Detail Theory", and the paper examines Jin Shengtan's"Detail Theory"mainly from four aspects: the expression, the function, the origin, and the influence. The main body of this paper, which is divided into three chapters, is to deal with"Detail Theory"from these four aspects.The Introduction makes a simple summary and review of current situation of the study on Jin Shengtan, proposes the significance of this paper, makes a concrete definition of"Detail", and analyzes why Jin Shengtan's viewpoints about the detail can be treated as the theory shape.Chapter One with three parts has a systematic realization of the detail theory of Jin Shengtan from the advance of expression, the analysis of characteristic, and the objective evaluation of the theory's insufficiency. Firstly, this chapter grasps the core of the theory---"Ji wei lun("极微论) and"Xu shi wei er yong bi zhu ("叙事微而用笔著),then enhances the understandings of the theory through concrete detail comments; The characteristics of the"Detail Theory"are pursuing rational and artistic details, and thinking much of the relation between the detail and the whole; however, it is undeniable that the"Detail Theory"is not so perfect with its trivial tendency.Chapter Two is mainly the analysis of the detail's function in"Detail Theory". Jin Shengtan considered the descriptions of details playing an active role in creating characters, narrating, interpreting, and so on. The descriptions of details not only mold the typical characters, operate on the joint of narrative structure, the expression of main plot and the produce of narrative effect, but also help to interpret the intention of the authors or the texts.Chapter Three places the"Detail Theory"on the special historical and cultural context. Firstly, this chapter puts forward an argument about the relation between Jin Shengtan's"Detail Theory"and traditional culture, Buddhistic concept, the tricks of eight-part essay,former literary critical practice; Secondly, the chapter reveals the influence of the theory. The guidance of"Detail Theory"on literary creation is not very obvious, but it still can't be neglected. Especially in the field of literary criticism, many literary critics have been drawing nourishment from"Detail Theory", and then further the development of this theory.Generally speaking, this paper tries to make a thorough researching into the"Detail Theory", and expects for further understanding of narrative theory of Jin Shengtan or even of Chinese ancient narrative theory through the research of"Detail Theory".