Ecological Aesthetics Domain Of 1990s Urban Novels,

This paper tries to study urban novels in 1990s from the perspective of ecological aesthetics. It starts from the highly complicated vision of urban life in urban novels of 1990s, which is incorporated into the frame of retrospection and criticism so as to probe into the natural and philosophical aesthetics of human environment represented by urban novels, and display their pursuit of a rosy homeland of human body and soul.This paper will be divided into seven sections.In the introduction part, basic theories and points of view in relation to ecological aesthetics are summarized; the ecological wisdom in traditional Chinese culture is reviewed; also, the relation between ecological aesthetics and Chinese cultural tradition is disclosed.In the first chapter, the background and formulation of urban novels in 1990s are introduced. Routine sceneries such as venues and plazas, and humane sceneries such as bars and restaurants have constructed most of the material environment of human beings for sure. While instead, popularity of consumption culture, overflow of materials and emotions have contributed for the spiritual living environment. Through analysis of highly representative and symbolic images of living environment, this paper tries to uncover the social roots of a lack of desirable natural environment and the spiritual status of urban dwellers. In addition, the generation, development and connotation of urban novels in 1990s are combed and defined along the line.The second chapter discloses people natural living state in urban novels of 1990s. Two approaches are introduced. First is to start from the absence of natural scenery and natural property of human beings in order to unearth the existing environment of urbanizes without natural beauty. A second method is to proceed with the alienation of urbanization and meaninglessness of life, in an attempt to discover the life status which is far from so-called "beauty".The third chapter probes into the quest for ecological beauty of nature in urban novels of 1990s. Through the reflection and criticism of alienation, the defamiliarization of materialized city and the resistance of "gender alienation" for women, this paper realizes its quest for natural properties of human beings. By presenting the idealization and special depiction of daily life, it shows the power of original human beings'vitality.The fourth chapter explores people spiritual ecology dilemma in urban novels in 1990s. Puzzles and challenges urban "marginalized people" encounter reveal the psychological state of modern urbanites, namely, reaction and rejection. The description of fetishism and individualized writing style catch a glimpse of the spiritual status of modern urbanites --loneliness and semantic aphasia. Their vagabondage and wandering reflect in the portrait of urban tramps, especially in the exploration of spiritual wandering.The fifth chapter probes into quest for spiritual ecological aesthetics in urban novels of 1990s.Through the reflection of the humanities spirits of intellectuals and the insistence on traditional moral principles and values, these novels realize its return of traditional spiritual values. By means of illustrating the insistence on traditional love value,the criticism of anti-traditional love value,and description of "sex" of women, they provide support for emotions. By expressing the ideology of "running away" or "escape" and poetic living, they show their spiritual return and search for the nicely spiritual home of human beings.The conclusion part is mainly concerned with the meaning of the study of urban novels in 1990s from the perspective of ecological aesthetics.