| This thesis is composed of 9 chapters; the main content of each chapter is as followed.The first chapter is the brief introduction, which is to introduce the research about the novels in Han Dynasty and to illustrate the research scope and the methodology of this thesis.Chapter 2, Culture and Novel in Han Dynasty, is to probe into the cultural facts that lead to the development of the novels in this dynasty from the views of religion, education, historical literature.Alchemists in Han Dynasty made up the fairy story, which is an important fact that stimulants the creation of the monstrous works. Prophetic-mixed divinity is an important fact that accretes not only the developments of the monstrous works, but also that of the prophetic-mixed novels. Other religions like Tai Shan management of the ghost, and Wu Xing theory also exerts great influence on the developments of the monstrous works. Therefore, the monstrous novels in Han Dynasty can mostly reflect the religious belief of the Han people. Remarkable progress was made in the field of culture and education of Han Dynasty, which became a positive stimulation of the novel development. First, the officials paid great attention to the collection and reservation of the books, which prompted the development of the novel creation: a, a lot of novels in pre-Qin period were reserved, which became the reference of the novel creation in Han Dynasty; b, a lot of classical works of pre-Qin period were found during the process of the book reservation and collection, which became the main source of the novels in Han Dynasty; c, a lot of novels of Han Dynasty were also reserved by the government, which also became a positive stimulation of the novel creation. Second, the study of Confucian classics and Hong Du Men Xue (the name of a school) cultivated a lot of talents, who became the main body of the novel creation in Han Dynasty; the study of Confucian classics incited various historical stories to explain the Confucian classics, the students from Hong Du Men Xue took efforts in the novel creation, which also contributed a lot to the development of the novel.The above all are the external facts that influence the development of the novel in Han Dynasty. In terms of the internal facts, the historical literature and ode contributed a lot to the development of the novels. For example, in Shi Ji and Han Shu, the novel tendency of the biography provided a reference for the character description. These two books promoted the prosperity of the unofficial history record. A series of unofficial history novels like Lie Nv Zhuan, Yue Jue Shu, Wu Yue Chun Qiu, and Fei Yan Wai Zhuan came out. The ode of the Han Dynasty had the features of making up the imaginary stories, narrative, and plot portfolio, which helped to communicate the relationship between the ode and the novel. A certain part of the odes, with its strong narrative, and plot portfolio features, became the members of the novels.Chapter 3, the Origin and Change of Novels in Han Dynasty, is to make a diachronic study of the historical origin and the development of the novels in Han Dynasty.The novels in Han Dynasty are the heritage and the development of the novels in Warring States. There exit successive relationship between the two in terms of the subjects, compilation and genre. Shan Hai Jing had the greatest influence on the monstrous novels in Han Dynasty. Yan Zi Chun Qiu and Han Feizi·Shuo Lin (the essay Shuo Lin in the book Han Feizi) also exerted great influence on the novels of this time.The development of the novels undertook three main periods in Han Dynasty. The first few years and the middle period of the West-Han Dynasty is the rising of the novel, during which came the first peak of the novel creation. The late period of West-Han and middle East-Han witnessed the prosperity of the novels. During this period, there emerged two important novelists Liu Xiang and Liu Xin. The first was the creation quantity peak, while the latter, with his famous work Xi Jing Za Ji, symbolized the art peak. Both of them are the top novelists in Han Dynasty. Besides, this period also witnessed the great achievement of the novels of Han. The late period of East-Han is the transformation period from the novels of Han to Wei Jin Six Dynasties. Not only the monster works but also the anecdotal novels have got the size and the verve of the novels of Wei Jin Six Dynasties, which means the coming of a new period for the novel development.The end part of this chapter is to discuss the classification of the novels in Han. There are totally for classies, the monster novels, the anecdotal novels, nonofficial novels and the ode-like novels.Chapter 4, the Monster Novels ( the first part), is to discuss Lie Xian Zhuan, Shen Yi Jing, Shi Zhou Ji, Shu Wang Ben Ji, Story of Han Wu, Yi Wen Ji and Feng Su Tong Yi.Lie Xian Zhuan was composed in the period of emperor Han Ling and Han Xian, and was titled in Liu Xiang. The current version Lie Xian Zhuan is different, in terms of the content, with which quoted by Ying Shao. But as for the stories in the book, the current version mostly reserved the original version in Han Dynasty, which is not quite related with the successive version. Lie Xian Zhuan initiated some literature motives, which was the main contribution of this work.Shen Yi Jing and Shi Zhou Ji are the geographical novels among the monster works of Han. Shen Yi Jing showed a certain moral and life-like feature, which is very unique among the works of the same category in Han. The main achievement of Shi Zhou Ji is shown in the field of the art, first, it created a splendid palace and a fairy world with strict classes, which also offers a reference for the fair world depiction in the novel creation. Second, the words are ode-like and artistical.Shu Wang Ben Ji and Story of Han Wu is the nonofficial monstrous novels. Shu Wang Ben Ji was composed when the author was in Shu District, which reflected the development history of mulberry silkworm rearing in this district and the dream of the residents here to battle with the nature and to communicate with the outside world. Besides, it reflected the aesthetic features of tragic beauty and majestic beauty of the ancient time myth in China. Story of Han Wu was finished in the time of East-Han Emperor Xian. The writer is a talent who has witnessed the wane of the Han Dynasty, but also held the hope for the power of Han governors. Story of Han Wu is biographic, and of long text structure.Yi Wen Ji and Feng Su Tong Yi belong to the miscellanea monstrous works. Yi Wen Ji marked the birth of the miscellanea monstrous works. Works like these firstly have the advantage of being free to draw materials, and it also showed the wide learning, therefore they got the special attention of the talents. There are a lot of monstrous stories in Zheng Shi, Guai Shen and Si Dian of Feng Su Tong Yi, which first collected all the images together in one book, like fairy, ghost and monster. In terms of the subject, the monstrous stories in books like Yi Wen Ji embodied a certain vivid life breath, which marked the transformation for the monstrous novels to Wei Jin Six Dynasties in terms of the thought and ideas.Chapter 5, the Monster Novels of Han Dynasty ( the second part), is to mainly analyze the prophetic-mixed novels.The prophetic-mixed novels are classified into three categories:first, is the myths of the emperors; second is the geographical stories; the third is the myths of Xi Wangmu. The number of the emperor's myths is the largest, which composed the main body of the prophetic-mixed novels. The artistic features of prophetic-mixed novels are: first, the birth and the image of the protagonist in such myths are apotheosized; second, the character is typical; third, the author created splendid wild world; fourth, it embodied the spirit of governing the universe. The prophetic-mixed novels have great influence on the literature of the latter time. First, it became an important material source of the geographical novels in Wei Jin Six Dynasties. Second, it initiated and developed some interesting motives, such as human beings becoming a tiger, or apotheosized birth.This chapter took He Tu Kuo Di Xiang as a special case to study the prophetic-mixed novels. He Tu Kuo Di Xiang, abbreviated as Kuo Di Tu, the two actually are the same book with just different names. Influenced by Shan Haijing, the book is of strong geographical features. Compared with Shan Haijing, the narration of the story is vivid, readable and imaginary. Chapter 6 Anecdote Novel of Han Dynasty mainly lists and discusses such cantos as Han Shi Wai Zhuan, Xin Xu, Shuo Yuan, Xi Jing Za Ji, Yanli, Guoyu in Feng Su Tong Yi. Liu Xiang's works Bai Jia and Shi Shuo which have been lost are also examined and argued in this chapter.Han Shi Wai Zhuan is a collection of history stories, most of which are stories of the pre-Qin Dynasty. So it is full of literary flavor. One of the most distinctive characteristics in its content is that most of the stories are about issues on loyalty, filialness, and bravery and so on. This book has an impact on Liu Xiang's Xin Xu, Shuo Yuan and Biographies of Women.Xin Xu and Shuo Yuan collect and compile the history stories of the pre-Qin Dynasty and early Han Dynasty by category. These two books were really written by Liu Xiang. These two books include five aspects, is: principle of the Kings, ways of the subjects, significance of the righteous man, opinion of common people, and exemplary conduct of eminent women. In morphological feature, on one hand, it resembles both philosophical works and history; on the other hand, it resembles neither. This is determined by Liu Xiang's intention that writing is for expostulation. Viewing from the aspect of fiction history, this also has a strong fiction flavor. They initiate the book arrangement mode of classifying the stories according to themes, which is the beginning of narrating according to category, such as Sou Shen Ji and Shi Shuo Xin Yu; some stories in the two books are the resources of traditional opera in the later time.Liu Xiang's work Bai Jia is a collection of stories of anecdotes and mythical stories; Shi Shuo is a collection of history stories, which has the same characteristics as Xin Xu, Shuo Yuan, and Biographies of Women. There are still two pieces of lost works existing.The Xi Jing Za Ji first analyzes the arguments about the five possible authors of this book: Liu Xin, Ge Hong, Wu Jun, Xiao Ben, and the Nameless. Among them, the arguments that Wu Jun or Xiao Ben is the author can not be taken as evidence. The other three augments are all born in Tang dynasty. And then, interpretation on Ge Hong's Postscript of Xi Jing Za Ji is done all over again and come to the conclusion that was written by Liu Xin and transcribed and sorted out by Ge Hong. The content of the anecdotes are especially perfect, some of which even show the same artistic charming as that of Shishuo Xinyu, and some which also reveal the trend of natural science.Feng Su Tong Yi collects considerable quantity of anecdote novels. The content includes four aspects: first, anecdotes and episodes of scholars in East-Han Dynasty; second, fantastic lawsuit stories; third, partings and reunions---vicissitudes of life; fourth, funny news and episodes. The plots of these stories are elaborately conceived with succinct words, which have a certain impact on Shishuo Xinyu, jokes of Wei-jin Dynasty, and lawsuit novels. Book of Rites·Tangong mainly collects some short and concise stories in the mode of dialogues. Those stories are all readable anecdote novels.Unofficial Histories and Novels of Han Dynasty in chapter 7 mainly introduced Yan Dan Zi, Biographies of Outstanding Women, Yue Jue Shu, Annals of Wu and Yue, the story of Nie Zheng stabbing the King of Han in Qin Cao, Private Life of Lady Fei Yan, etc.Yan Dan Zi was finished in Qin and Han Dynasties. The image of Yan Dan is a noble young man who handles things by emotion rather than by the mind. He is eager to pursue undertakings and achievements, and neglectful of politics and military strategies. However, he received much sympathy by his brave vengeance on the atrocious Qin. Therefore, the image of Yan Dan is full of the charm of tragedy. Jing Ke is the earliest swordsman image in Chinese novel history. The revenge theme of Yan Dan Zi has exerted influence on Yue Jue Shu, Annals of Wu and Yue, etc.The author of Biographies of Outstanding Women is Liu Xiang. The book was finished during the Yongshi Reign when Emperor Han Cheng was on the throne. The main content is wonderful words and good behavior which are of educational meanings of virtuous and chaste women, and statements and actions of concubines spoiled by emperors which could bring disaster to the country. The book is very detailed in its content and distinct in its characters which enlightened the entry selection of various miscellaneous biographies in the period of Late-Han-to-Weijin Dynasties.Yue Jue Shu is compiled and revised by Yuan Kang and Wu Ping according to the old anecdotes of the wars between the kingdom of Wu and Yue. It was finished in the first few years of the East-Han Dynasty. Centered on the wars between Wu and Yue, the book refers to events happened during, before and after the wars to form a loose story system which can be treated as a collection of short stories. Yue Jue Shu is rich of the atmosphere of a novel and its structure holds sublime words with deep meaning which shows the observing basis of Zhao Ye of being courtly toward the whole world, and his profound thinking on the history of the wars. Being rich of the atmosphere of a novel, the book has the characteristics of legends and romances, and puts emphasis on character-portrayal. Many characters such as Wu Zixu, Gou Jian and others are shaped in this book which is regarded as the forerunner of the romantic novels of Chinese history.The story of Nie Zheng stabbing the King of Han in Qin Cao was largely fixed in the middle of the East-Han Dynasty and was related to historical facts. But its main content was invented by the author who added much imaginary content in the story and created impaler Nie Zheng. As for artistic standards, this book is better than Yan Dan Zi and represents the improvement of fiction artistry.Private Life of Lady Fei Yan was finished in a period between last years of the East-Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms. Based on the historical framework provided by Xi Jing Za Ji by Liu Xin and Private Life of Zhao Fei Yan in Han Shu by Ban Gu, the author added some abundant, profound and subtle imaginary content to finally complete this remarkable writing with vivid plots, insight into personalities and implications of deep historical emotion.The last chapter briefly introduced other miscellaneous historical novels in Western Han and Eastern Han Dynasties, such as The Biology of Alchemists, The Biology of Dongfang Shuo, The Biology of Lie Shi, The Biology of Filiai Sons, etc.Rhapsody Style Novels in the Han Dynasty in chapter 8 mainly discusses Shen-wu-fu, Shou-yang-shan-fu, Du-lou-fu, and colloquial fus, such as Tong Yue, Ze-xu-ran-nu-ci, etc.Shen-wu-fu belongs to story fus and is a work of literators. The theme of the fu is contained in the ending. It wanted to show the implicit sense that the raven should give up benefits to avoid destroy, and therefore, survive itself. This fu is a typical fu novel and is of great literature and novel historical significance. Shou-yang-shan-fu by Du Du and Du-lou-fu by Zhang Heng belong to rhapsody style novels. Tong Yue and Ze-xu-ran-nu-ci by Wang Bao and Duan-ren-fu by Cai Yong belong to colloquial fus.Historical Achievements, Status and Influence of Han Novels in chapter 9 introduces the historical achievements, status, influence, and related content of Han novels. The prosperity of novels in Wei-Jin Times and the Six Dynasties marks the first climax in the development of ancient Chinese novels which is based on the development of Han novels. The historical basis and influence of Han novels are all can be observed in novels of Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, Qing, and other dynasties. Therefore, Han is a critical link in the observation and description of Chinese novel history, an important stage in the development of China novels and is of great value and significance as it is a source for many developments.
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