A Study On The Fox Images In Novel From The The Six Dynasty To The Tang Dynasty

The fox image is one of the traditional literary images in Chinese Classical literature.T h e fo x i m a g es i n C h i n es e l i t er a t u r e had occurred i n an ci en t m yt h o l o g y, developed during the Tang and Song Dynasty,shaped more plump from Yuan Dynasty to Qing Dynasty.In t h o u s an d ye a r s o f d e v e l o p m e n t, t h e f o x i m a g es i n C h i n es e l i t er at u r e h a d ex p e ri e n c ed d i s t i n c t e v o l u t i o n. It h ad d ev el o p ed fr o m n at u r al fo x t o h u m a n fo x. At t h e s am e t i m e, t h e fo x images’ connotation is developing more enrich and diverse. Ho w e v e r, p e o p l e s t u d y t h e fo x i m a g es h ad m o r e f o c u s ed o n n o v el during the Tang and Song Dynasty, spend less time and energy on n o v e l f ro m the Six Dynasty to Tang Dynasty. St u d yi n g t h e fo x i m a g es i n n o v e l s f r o m the Six Dynasty to Tang Dynasty can h el p u s fo r m a m o r e cl e a r an d a c cu rat e u n d er s t a n d i n g ab o u t t h e d e v el o p i n g v en at i o n o f t h e fo x i m a g es. T h e re fo r e, i t i s n e c es s a r y fo r u s t o s t u d y t h e f o x i m a g e s i n n o v e l fr o m the Six Dynasty to Tang Dynasty.This article will research the fox images f ro m the Six Dynasty to Tang Dynasty, by surveying the fox works and combining with the time background.This article is divided into three parts:The first part is the introduction part; it mainly summarizes the reason of topic selection, research summary, and illustrates the research methods and main points of this article.The second part is the body part. This part is divided into three chapters.The first chapter will classify the fox works by their characteristics and development of the fox images changes fro m the Six Dynasty to Tang Dynasty. The fox images are divided into four kinds of foxes followed by natural hunted fox, the fox demon, the helpful fox and other types of fox demon. The fox demon is the main types of the fox, and it can be divided into four classes, as follows: the charm of human, cheat food and obtain support, harass human, revenge persons.The example of the fox image’s every types are analyzed.The second chapter will discuss the characteristics of fox images in novel fro m the Six Dynasty to Tang Dynasty. Ou t w ar d ap p e ar an c e d es cri p t i o n a b o u t t h e fo x s i n the Six Dynasty m ys t er y i s l i m i t e d t o o n l y t h e ch a ra ct e ri s t i cs o f t h e an i m al. Ho w ev er, m o s t o f t h e wo rk s i n t h e Tan g an d To n g Dynasty l e g e n d h ad d es c ri b ed o u t w ar d ap p e ar an c e b y v i v i d an d co m p r eh en s i v e w a y. T h e fo x i m a g e s n o t o n l y h a v e t h e p er s o n ’ s p e rs o n al i t y t r ai t s, s u c h a s ch ar m i n g p e rs o n, k n o wl ed g e ab l e f o x s, s ym p t o m at i c fo x s, b u t al s o h av e o u t s t an d i n g a p p ea r an ce. In the Six Dynasty m ys t er y, t h e l an g u a g e o f t h e fo x i m a g es h av e l es s l an g u a g e d es c ri p t i o n. In Tan g Dynasty l e g en d, t h e fo x i m a g e s h av e l es s an d l e s s fe at u r e o f d e m o n 、ri ch h u m em i n t er es t a n d em o t i o n o f l o v e a n d h at e. It s l an g u a g e a l s o c l o s e t o t h e r e al l i f e a n d s h o w d i v e rs i fi ed f e at u r e o f t h e f o x i m a g e s, s u ch a s cu n n i n g 、 r es er v e d 、wi l f u l an d cu t e. T h e c o m p l ex a n d v a ri o u s f e at u re o f t h e f o x i m a g es performance of novel’s progress in Tang Dynasty. In the Six Dynasty m ys t er y, t h e p l o t o f t h e fo x n o v el s ap p e a r ed s i m p l ex a n d c an b e s u m m e d u p t h e fi x e d m o d e. In Tan g Dynasty and S o n g Dynasty l e g en d, t h e p l o t i s m o u n t ai n o u s, gl i t t e r i n g, fa s c i n at i n g. In the second section,the relationship between the fox and the people is changing from the indifference to close.In the Six Dynasty, the relationship between the fox and people mainly express indifferent or even hostile.During the Tang and Song Dynasty, the relationship between the fox and the people tend to be relax, even tend to be close. The relationships between the fox also express intimacy with each other. Thirdly, the supernatural ability of the fox is gradually enhanced. In the Six Dynasty, although the fox demon is a demon, the supernatural power is very low. Generally speaking, people can kill the fox demon by bare-handed or weapons. Ordinary dogs also can make it change its essence from the fox demon. Al t h o u gh,the foxs can change to human,but can’t change to wh o l e h u m an. T h e fo x s al s o ap p e a re d s ym b o l i c t ai l. With the innovation and endeavor of writer, the fox demon’s supernatural ability of the Tang and Song Dynasty is more progressive than the fox demon’s supernatural ability of the Six Dynasty. It also derived a new fox demon types——Tian hu.T h e d e fo rm a t i o n ab i l i t y o f t h e fo x s h a v e b e en i m p ro v e d. T h e m et ab o l i c t yp e o f t h e fo x s i s various.It can change optionally.Predicting the future of the foxs’ ability h av e b ee n i m p r o v ed. T h e fo x d em o n s i s a fr ai d o f d o g s. M o s t o f t h e f o x d em o n s h av e ce rt ai n m an a. Ordinary dogs can’t make it change from fox d em o n s to human.The third chapter will discuss the aesthetic value of fox images before the Song Dynasty. The first section is about the bizarre beauty of the fox images. Th e b i z a rr e beauty of the fox demons express on life habits’ bizarre and image’s b i z a rr e t wo as p e ct s i n n o v el s f ro m the Six Dynasty to Tang Dynasty. In the second section, the fox images possess human nature of beauty. In the Six Dynasties, the fox images show its barbarity. In the Tang Dynasty, the creation of the novel has been changed towards the consciousness. In Tang and Song Dynasties, the biggest characteristic of the fox works is the height of humanization. In the third section, the fox images possess tragically beauty. Fro m the Six Dynasty to Tang Dynasty i n n o v e l s, many fox images of literary works are tragedy. This kind of tragedy presents deeply sad. The fox works seems to write fox. In fact, it is describe people. People sigh about the fox works. In fact, the author express dissatisfied about human survival with it.In the conclusion part,studying the fox images can help us form a clear and accurate cognition that development vein and connotation of the fox images.It also play a role in study the fox images in literature from Yu an t o Qi n g Dynasty.