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Sui And Tang Story Dynasty

Posted on:2011-06-05Degree:DoctorType:Dissertation
Country:ChinaCandidate:Y XuFull Text:PDF
GTID:1115360305488234Subject:Ancient Chinese literature
Abstract/Summary:PDF Full Text Request
The Sui and Tang dynasties play a significant role in Chinese history in which historical events and heroes actively staying therein were concerned by persons of the both dynasties as well as such close attention have been continued and maintained by people of the Song Dynasty and even today. People in different eras and different stratums have been discussing and even explaining historical events and commenting on figures in the two dynasties by various narratives such as biographical novels, notes, classical novels, talking & singing literatures, traditional operas, etc. so stories of the Sui and Tang dynasties are produced. These stories don't absolutely copy the history but have certain historical foundations. More and more outputs and their great significance have got attentions of people since the Qing Dynasty and various study literatures turn up. So far, obvious regret is lack of holistic studies but limited to study on a single works, carding and study on stories of a certain figure as well as arrangement and study on stories in a certain literary genres (in a certain period).Holistic is not equal to simple superposition of all works from all authors but shall include various organic links between different parts of the holistic. No other than on a basis of holistic study, significance of a single works in holistic evolution and its contributions can be found in order to objectively evaluate its standing; emulations and innovations therein can be found in order to objectively present crossing and interaction relationships between talking & singing literature, novel and traditional opera; clear line of evolution and development of stories in the Sui and Tang dynasties can be sorted out in order to find some regularities therein; and some issues of interests and abundant theories can be found and further explained: stories of the Sui and Tang dynasties arose earlier than"Heroes of the Marshes"and almost happened at the same time as"The Romance of the Three Kingdoms",also, the Sui and Tang series produced over twenty novels, in number which is greater than"Heroes of the Marshes"and"The Romance of the Three Kingdoms", but why neither of these novels can rank among"Classic Novels"? Many the Sui and Tang series novels are copied, series complemented and even rewritten again and again, what's reason for their prevalence? And the like.In this case, this article grasps stories of the Sui and Tang dynasties as a whole. Said"stories of the Sui and Tang dynasties"means stories in relation to historical events and figure rumor. Since the Ming and Qing dynasties, a series of popular saga novels related to the said"stories of the Sui and Tang dynasties"have been collectively called"Sui and Tang series novels", which can be rated as masterpiece among all stories of the Sui and Tang dynasties. Therefore, this article takes the Sui and Tang series novels as breakthrough points to conduct lengthy compilation type collection and study on the stories of the Sui and Tang dynasties. As far as subject-matter area is concerned, it focuses on the period from the last years of the Sui Dynasty to the middle term of the Tang Dynasty with the fabulous age of the Sui Dynasty and the late Tang Dynasty excluded. For literary style, stories of the Sui and Tang dynasties focus on stories so their corresponding narrative styles shall including biographical novel, notes, talking & singing literature, traditional opera and novels. For time concerned, stories of the Sui and Tang dynasties come in literary works from the fabulous age of the Tang Dynasty to the end of Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China. Researches in this article covered work generation studies, rheological and communication studies as well as content, art and figure studies, including comparative study.Notes from people of the Tang and Song dynasties had recorded anecdotes of the Sui and Tang dynasties such as Suitangjiahua, Youyangzazu, Yishi, Tangyulin and Dongjingmenghualu, which didn't only preserve a great deal of valuable historical anecdotes in that age to be the first source of stories in talking & singing literatures, novels, operas and even biographical novels but also recorded some fantastic and uncanny things to promote stories of the Sui and Tang dynasties to grow towards fiction and romance. In these notes, some narrative skills were mature and hero figures e.g. Yuchi Gong, Qin Qiong and Shan Xiongxin were initially built which were inherited and developed by the Sui and Tang series novels, not only presenting universality as a hero but also portraying individuality.In the late Tang Dynasty and the early Song Dynasty, Suiyilu, Haishanji, Milouji and Kaiheji came forth, which were collectively a whole lifetime of Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty, not only revealing the historical facts and lessons that his death and empire annihilation were lead by his incontinence and atrocity but also adding a lot of details without historical evidences, scanning innermost being and describing emotions to avoid conceptualization of the figure. Stories of Emperor Yang circulated, image created and ideas, emotions and attitudes represented after ages were not beyond their expectations.A series of historical records in relation to the history of the Sui and Tang dynasties also appeared in the Tang and Song dynasties. For the generation and development of stories of the Sui and Tang dynasties, significances of the Tang History and the Sui History firstly lied in: completely and specifically recording historical events of the Sui and Tang dynasties and stories of figures therein, providing breakthrough points for historical interpretation and offering basic materials for the production of talking & singing literatures, operas and novels; significances of General Mirror for the Aid of Government including Sui Records (eight volumes) and Tang Records (eighty-one volumes) firstly lied in: spatio-temporal arrangement offers frameworks imitated as example for creation of Sui and Tang series novels; objective third-person narration at an omniscient point of view provided recommendable narrative style for creation of Sui and Tang series novels; Contents of General Mirror for the Aid of Government summarized the history in skeleton form and Outlines of General Mirror for the Aid of Government inspired, to a certain extent, outer style of segmentation and entry selection of novels.Stories of the Sui and Tang dynasties in talking and singing literatures might be traced back to the middle and late Tang Dynasty. Hanqinhu Story-telling Script and TangTaizong's Adventure in the Hell were the early typical works. Many artistic forgings and foundries of historical facts were taken into Hanqinhu Story-telling Script, i.e. abandoning some experiences of the figure but selecting important deeds which can best represent the figure's character; merging deeds of multiple figures into a specific figure in a method of conversion; adding a plenty of folklores and building an image of an outstanding young general of both intelligence and courageousness, which could be rated as the ancestor of sagas in vernacular language and played an significant role in Sui and Tang series novels and even sagas after ages for creating stories and building heroes. Complete Biography of Sui & Tang was similar with Han qinhu. TangTaizong's Adventure in the Hell was the first to subvert the judicious emperor image of Tang Taizong, which had a significant influence on creation of Sui and Tang series novels. Its plots were followed by Sui & Tang Heroes, Round 68; and the Sui and Tang series novels portrayed and revealed dark sides of Tang Taizong. In the Song, Yuan and Ming dynasties, stories of the Sui and Tang dynasties obtained sustainable development in talking & singing literature field. Script of the Song and Yuan dynasties– Emperor Yang Cruised and Been Fulminated preliminarily integrated content of novels in classical Chinese, and its specific plot sequence was close to Romantic Experience Of Emperor Yang. Script of the Yuan Dynasty– the Sketch of Xue Rengui Crusading against the Liao Kingdom further represented artistic creative ability and imagination that talking & singing literature superior to history. Its organic combination with historical evidence, conversion, transformation and fiction, brand new stories on Xue Rengui crusading against the east was produced which set an demonstration and inspiration for a series of historical novels e.g. Suishiyiwen and Complete Biography of Sui & Tang that is far superior to the historical facts. Talking & singing script in Chenghua of the Ming Dynasty– Story on Xue Rengui Transoceanic Crusading against the Liao Kingdom was a further development of stories of Xue Rengui and its newly-composed plot was followed by Shuotanghouzhuan. Liu Jingting, a storyteller lived in the end of Ming Dynasty and the beginning of the Qing Dynasty was a milestone like figure in the history of storytelling and stories of the Sui and Tang dynasties were his typical works."Sui and Tang"had become key bibliography of both the south and north storytelling systems and formed various mentoring transmission pedigree of which the originator can be traced back to Liu Jingting. From the Qing Dynasty to the early Republic of China, stable bibliography and transmission system of the stories of Sui and Tang dynasties in both south storytelling system (in a local dialect) and north storytelling system had been formed, and drum-beating lyrics system also involved in abundant stories of the Sui and Tang dynasties.Stories of the Sui and Tang dynasties were also important materials of the Yuan Zaju. On one hand, stories of Xue Rengui and Emperor Yang had obtained sustainable development; and on the other hand, stories of Yuchi Gong had been completely formed whose valorous and righteous characters were presented. Stories of Yuchi Gong narrated and his figure built in Sui and Tang series novels were not beyond the range of Yuan Zaju, having a difference on details only. Stories of heroes in WaGangZhai gradually became mature, a relatively stable story system was formed, most of key figures in Sui and Tang series novels appeared and their characters were roughly visualized. Stories and figures in these stories were not beyond the keynote specified by the Yuan Zaju. Chuanqi Dramas, Peking operas and local operas in the Ming and Qing dynasties implicated enormous plays of the Sui and Tang dynasties.The Sui and Tang series novels were rated as masterpiece of stories of the Sui and Tang dynasties from the middle and late Ming Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty. Their generation and prevalence were not only benefit from historiography and literature traditions as well as their own material advantages but also can not survive without formation and grandness of readership, reader's encouragement of reading interest as well as processing and formulation of novelists. They mainly experienced a course of evolution and development from historical novel to saga and further to Kung Fu novel with a multi-university of love and genies therein, which neither became principal contradiction nor decided novel style. Green Peony didn't only play a special significant role in the evolution and development of Sui and Tang series novels– it was a unique Kung Fu novel but also played an important role in the history of Kung Fu novel– it turned to "the battling field of honor"from"imperial power",so the first creation of Kung Fu novel had revealed its importance for the first time since then on; and its key content consisted of battle between heroes and villains as well as chivalry love. This was the key method to compose Kung Fu novels since the Republic of China among which Green Peony had become a pioneer and also provided many experiences. Evolution and development of Sui and Tang series novels was not only a course that stories of the Sui and Tang dynasties grew richer and all figure images gradually tended towards consolidation and enrichment but also a course that private interest was continuously penetrated and developed i.e. the concept of loyal to the throne gradually tended towards dilution but focused on"righteousness"; feudalistic chastity value was weakened and the status of women was improved to a certain extent; and heroes were gradually turned realistic from moral models. Figures in stories were not only the projection of cultural psychology of a nation but also embodiment of time words. Evolution of images such as Qin Qiong and Shan Xiongxin represented a course from gestation to development of loyalism and chivalrous and final disillusion, which can't survive without the background of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Cheng Yaojin, a comic hero reposed burgher's dreams to be rich and successful and reflected their attitude of pursuing mortal existence as well as tact and devious approach to life. More and more woman generals appeared in Sui and Tang series novels, awakening of their sexual passion and reinforcement of spirit of resistance are related to unique culture and era background, i.e. more legendary women in the Ming Dynasty; commodity economy was prosperous and the status of women was improved; spiritual sustenance of burgher's dreams; and influences of woman heroes on courtship. Impressions on breakthrough men's visual angle could also be found by a toy attitude for portraying appearance of woman generals, neglecting their psychological course or declaring"women used by men only". Description on love and marriage of woman general was also penetrated with Han Chauvinism. Neither of Sui and Tang series novels was ranked into"classic novels"approximately due to long battlefront and loose construction; different souls or inadequate individuality; different points of views of all story clusters, incompliance of major ideals of all literatures and insufficient profound connotation; and, in the final analysis, lack of a great author for processing and formulation.During diachronic collections and studies and during holistic discussion on a basis of a careful and detailed analysis on specific literatures, such conclusion was achieved: from Tang Dynasty to Chenghua of the Ming Dynasty, there had formed four series Stories of the Sui and Tang dynasties—stories of Emperor Yang, stories of Xue Rengui, stories of Yu Chigong and stories of heroes in WaGangZhai, presenting a trend of continuous enrichment from dispersion to system. The evolution of the Sui and Tang series novels did not break the trend. Since the age from the late Ming Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty, in addition to Sui and Tang series novels, stories of the Sui and Tang dynasties had obtained sustainable development in traditional operas and talking & singing literatures. In this period, traditional operas and talking & singing literatures still mainly focused on after-war prosperity and desert as well as heroic deeds with a multi-university of love and genies herein, which were in compliance with Sui and Tang series novels and even the trend of long-term development of stories of the Sui and Tang dynasties; figures like Emperor Yang, Li Shimin, Qin Qiong, Luo Cheng, Cheng Yaojin, Xue Rengui and Xue Dingshan still occupied the story center and their images were not beyond the keynote specified for a long time but their experiences became richer and their images became solider and more plentiful; stronger secularized interests and emotions with local customs and time spirits blended in give consideration to both features of traditional operas as well as talking & singing literatures and audience's sensitivity to beauty and acceptance. Their generation could be mainly divided into the following circumstances: (1) adaptation from a novel; (2) traditional operas and talking & singing literatures independently produce stories of the Sui and Tang dynasties; (3) mutual adaption between traditional opera and talking & singing literature; (4) mutual emulation between traditional operas; (5) mutual emulation between talking & singing literatures.Stories of the Sui and Tang dynasties persistently hand down, evolve and develop since the Tang Dynasty, with the development of narrative art accompanied, the multi-university of various materials, crossing and interaction of various styles, sedimentary deposits of a nation's cultural psychology as well as the manifestation of time words.
Keywords/Search Tags:stories of the Sui and Tang dynasties, evolution and development, narrative art, private interests, material penetration, style interaction
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