A Folk Perspective On Hong Mai And His Record Of The Listener

Exploring the author and cultural ecology of ancient Chinese novels from the folk perspective will provide us innovative understanding outside the old narrative framework of literature history. Detailed analysis of folk position and concern of Chinese ancient scholars'values will also provide precious historical reference for modern intellectual elites and the lowest class writing. By the creation of Record of the Listener (Yijian Zhi), Southern Song scholar Hong Mai(1123—1202) found a dialogue channel with the common populace. As the collector, editor and publisher of Record of the Listener (Yijian Zhi), it had taken Hong Mai 60 years'accumulation to finish this novel which not only preserves the culture of the Southern Song Dynasty novel, but also had far-reaching impact on later traditional fiction creation. By exploring the folk position, perspective of Hong Mai and the narrative method of Record of the Listener (Yijian Zhi) from the theoretical folklore stand, this dissertation try to accurately portrait Hong Mai's cultural character, analyze the folk tendency of his literary concept and describe the mutual attraction and collision between elite and folk culture. At the same time, the folk narrative method and the significance of Record of the Listener (Yijian Zhi) will also be re-interpreted.This dissertation consists of five chapters.Chapter one offers a general account of the motives of our research, the academic review and definition of some major concepts. The research methods and framework we are going to use will also be explained in this chapter.Chapter two mainly explores the inner establishment of Hong Mai's folk position through the analysis of his life background. Related questions are:why Hong Mai would hold folk position, the embodiment of this special position on the aspects of value and humanity and Hong Mai's folk position characteristics. We believe that the folk position of Hong Mai was established in his scholar ideal self-realization process. And the main parts of Hong Mai's thoughts are into-real-world Confucian idea and benefiting-people responsibility.Chapter three mainly analyzes Hong Mai's folk view and writing method of Record of the Listener (Yijian Zhi). We found out that the customs, folk beliefs and social rumors had occupied important position in Hong Mai's folk view. Hong Mai was good at observing and doing historical research of the custom changes. Folk beliefs had great impact on his personal belief system and life experiences. And he was keen on collecting and recording bizarre folk anecdote. The continuous publishing of Record of the Listener (Yijian Zhi) mobilized common people's narrative passion and released the energy of folk culture.Chapter four focuses on the folk concern in Hong Mai's literature concept. The intermediary and preceding stage of Southern Song when Hong Mai lived in was a significantly phase of historic literature changing. In this phase, the remarkable distinction between elite and non-elite literature had been in process of dissolving. There were some qualitative changes happened internally for each of them. And they could interact with one another. This chapter analyzes the folk trend and folk concern in Hong Mai's writing concept.Chapter five mainly explores the folk narrative issue of Record of the Listener (Yijian Zhi) by comprehensively using the theories of narrative, folklore in literature and cultural functionalism. By comparing to other contemporaneous and similar subject of Notes Novel (biji), this chapter analyzes the narrative perspective, method and plots characteristics of Record of the Listener (Yijian Zhi). On the basis of this comparing, this chapter also gives functional interpretation to the narrative significance of Record of the Listener (Yijian Zhi).In the writing process of this dissertation, I deeply feel that the folklore theory do open up a brand new perspective and inspiring way for us to analyze the cultural ecology and creation method of ancient literati. Research of the past is not only for us to understand the past but also for the benefit of today. Whether the Chinese intellectuals will be alienated from or communicate with the "grass-root" class depends on the positions of the intellectuals are condescending look or sincere company. For us academic researchers, the study also needs sincere understanding. Only with this position and attitude can we improve the ability of absorbing our precious national legacy and broaden our ongoing research path.