The Wandering Forever And Beyond

Tian Han is the founder of Chinese modern drama and thepioneer in the revolution of Chinese traditional opera. He isa cross between dramatist, opera writer, movie script writer,and novelist, and his name has already engraved in the historyof Chinese modern drama.Born in Hunan and having his early schooling in Hunan, TianHan was influenced and nurtured by Hunan culture. Tian Han hasthe touch of Hunan people who are strong-minded, perseverant,and sometimes stubborn. Like a “Hunan bull”, once choosingthe way, he would hold on straight to the end. The element ofXiang culture is reflected in Tian Han’s spirit, with whichhe fought like a warrior through the thistles and thorns, andyelled in front of dangers and difficulties. He never yieldedin spite of reverses, and defied steadfastly all brute force;he kept the noble character and unique perspective of anintellectual all the time, and held on firmly the independencecharacterized in Xiang culture.The present study aims to explore the profound impact ofXiang culture on Tian Han, based on the analysis of his life,love, and his tremendous contribution in the drama’s movement,revolution and creation. In spite of “preface” and“conclusion”, the body of this thesis consists of five mainparts.The first section begins with the introduction of thecomplex of native soil in Xiang culture, and attempts toilluminate the impact of this complex on the great men ofletters in Hunan such as Tian Han. No matter when he stayed inJapan, Shanghai, Guilin or Chongqing, Tian Han never forgot hishometown and the old folks. It is his hometown that inspiredhis interests and enthusiasm in drama and nurtured his deepfeelings.Beginning with the illustration of the complex of home andcountry and the responsibility of regarding the whole societyas one’s own duty in Xiang culture, the second sectiondiscusses Tian Han’s complex of home and country and hisresponsibility in organizing drama movements and creatingdramas. Furthermore, we probe into the conflict between hiscomplex and his upright character in order to bring to light his choice and adaption between art and politics, between goingin and out the society.Based on the discussion of the seeds of art oriented fromwitchcraft and ceremonial activities and the tradition of artworship, the third section illustrates the complex of artformed by poetic complex in Xiang culture. This section mainlyreviews Tian Han’s artistic perseverance in whirlpool ofpolitics, describes the images of artist and intellectual inTian Han’s works who hold on the artistic way and sacrificefor art. Furthermore, this section also analyzes the poeticbeauty and splendid color in his works.The fourth section examines the faithful and romantic loveexpressed in Xiang culture, narrating the love stories of TianHan in which there are conflicts, grieves and joys. This sectionanalyzes his complicated and abundant views towards love andwoman, and also examines the psychological factors underlyinghis views.The fifth section discusses the independence demonstratedin Xiang culture which exerts a great influence on Tian Han’s “Hunan bull” temperament and his uninhabited and tenaciouspersonalities. Reviewing his struggle in the pursuit of artwhen he was out of the political field, this section analyzesthe characteristic of independence implied from thedescription of the roles in his works, and examines the reasonsfor his life-long characteristic of independence.Tian Han has an enormous influence on Chinese modern drama,and Xiang culture also plays an essential role in huge stageof Chinese culture. This thesis starts from Tian Han’sartistic creation and life, and then illustrates the impact ofXiang culture on Tian Han, and examines the Xiang cultureelements expressed in Tian Huan’s works and his spirit. Thisstudy is of significance on the grounds that it would bridgethe gap in the field of study on Tian Han from the perspectiveof region and culture.