Research On The Prefaces And Postscripts Of Novel In Tang And Five Dynasties

The prefaces and postscripts in Tang and Five Dynasties’ novels are importantmaterials to study the Tang and Five Dynasties’ novels, even to the whole theories ofnovels written in the ancient Chinese language. The characteristics of the theories theyhad reflected are worth paying attention to and studying for us. At present, the study ofthe prefaces and postscripts in ancient novels are focus on Ming and Qing dynasties.There have been some master’s theses and books in this field till now. However, theprefaces and postscripts in Tang and Five Dynasties’ novels which had made a greatcontribution to the development of the whole Chinese ancient novels’ theories haven’tattracted the researchers’ attention yet.The thesis will start from the prefaces and postscripts in Tang and Five Dynasties’novels, finding out the prefaces and postscripts existing till now, analyzing andcomparing the features of their structures, attempting to make a set of arrangement to thetheories’ characteristics of the Tang and Five Dynasties’ novels. The thesis has threechapters. The exordium will present the significance of the topic and the train of thought,also to show the present condition of the study. The first chapter will analyze the basicelements of these novels, and compare the prefaces and postscripts’ characteristicsamong the three kinds of novels—occult, anecdote and legend, in order to prepare for thenext part. The second chapter will demonstrate the theories’ characteristics of theprefaces and postscripts in Tang and Five Dynasties’ novels from the following fouraspects—the effect of current affairs and history, the contradictions appeared in thewriting theory and the ways to solve them, the aim of the writing and the transforms ofthe attitude, and finally the imaginary awareness and the transforms of the narrativevisual angle. The third chapter will discuss how the prefaces and postscripts in Tang andFive Dynasties’ novels had inherited the creation before Tang Dynasty and effected thefollowing development of the theories during Song and Yuan Dynasties. The inheritancewas comprehensive, and the effect was murky. It has reflected the success made by theTang and Five Dynasties’ novels in the theories of Chinese ancient novels.The Chinese ancient novels developed to shape up during Tang and Five Dynasties, and a lot of conceptions and categories of novels which had a far-reaching effection ofthe following centuries had been ripe during this period of time. What’s more, the novels’way to deal the relationship with other ancient classical literatures also provide a modelto those latter novels—they were interactive. In a word, the characteristics of the theoriesin the Tang and Five Dynasties’ novels had been the root of the latter novels, it isvaluable and has a far-reaching effect on the history of the Chinese ancient novels’development.