Ambiguous Pursuit

This dissertation studies a kind of fiction writing that has long been overlooked by academia, that is, the adaptation and rewriting of classical Chinese novels with modem concepts by Late Qing writers. I name this new genre the Reinvented Fiction. The basic idea of my dissertation is to situate the Reinvented Fiction in the dual contexts of narrative and socio-cultural transformations in Late Qing era. For only through an analysis of the specific cultural context of Late Qing can we fully understand the creative impulse of Reinvented Novel and reveal its significance. I argue that the Reinvented Fiction, as a current of the "New Fiction Movement" of Late Qing, has subverted classical Chinese novels at levels of both thematic and narrative, expressing a quest for modernity by an active breaking away with the old and a seeking for the new. Due to various constraints, however, this quest for modernity is also colored with ambivalence.My dissertation is composed of seven chapters, including an introduction and a conclusion. In Introduction, I define the concept of Reinvented Fiction, provide a literature review and the justification of the research, and elaborate on the underlying theoretical assumptions and methodology. The first chapter examines and reconstructs the conditions of writing and publishing of Reinvented Fiction. Based on this textual research, I compile as detailed as possible a chronological table of production. In addition, I research on the true identity of a couple of authors who wrote under pseudonym. The second chapter explores the motives of Reinvented Fiction, highlighting a number of key factors that have contributed to its genesis, such as the discontent of and attack on classical novels from the New Fiction camp, the development of popular fiction with the commercialization of writing, as well as the tradition of sequel writing and imitating in Chinese fiction. The third chapter discusses Reinvented Fiction's subversion of classical novels in terms of thematic. Through the subversive rewriting of classical novels, Reinvented Fiction develops a new set of imaginary of modern society. Yet the paradox is that this new imaginaryoften curiously regresses to the traditional model. The fourth chapter analyzes the artistic techniques and representational style of Reinvented Fiction. On one hand, Reinvented Fiction attempts to abolish classical conventions by way of style, structure, and narrative method; on the other hand, it freely borrows from, imitates, and even mechanically reproduces the objects it seeks to rewrite. The fifth chapter compares Reinvented Fiction with the mainstream novels of the New Fiction Movement and the Translated Fiction in Late Qing in order to demonstrate that Reinvented Fiction represents a new stage of development in the New Fiction Movement. Both Translated Fiction's rewriting of western novels and Reinvented Fiction's rewriting of classical novels are unique phenomenon in transitional Chinese literature. To sum up the former six chapters, I present in Conclusion a comprehensive review of the historical status and contemporary significance of Reinvented Novel.