Research On Narrative Of Marriage Custom Of Vernacular Novels

The study on vernacular novels (Hua Ben Xiao Shuo) is an important research field of Chinese classical novels, but it is clear to notice such problems as narrow research field and scope in the current research. Research on narrative of vernacular novels from the perspective of traditional culture as an interdisciplinary study field shall deepen and extend the current research direction. The study on narrative of Marriage custom is such a good case in this point that it is an interdisciplinary research composed by folklore and narrative studies; and the folk narrative is the most effective point of view in this thesis which derived from the research methodology of interpretation of folklore and narrative studies in order to focus on narrative values, development of plot and narrative methods of folklores.Marriage customs and marriage life is a part of daily life, which has been depicted and formatted in Tang Legends. Such noteworthy marriage narrative phenomenon as predestined marriage, values of human relations in matchmaking and narration of marriage customs have immerged into the novels. However, the significant tendency of Tang Legends is the expression of "inner feelings" and the character "legend" results in the deficiency in detailed description of everyday folk life.With the rise of vernacular novels, the focus of narrative literature has gradually turned to the daily life of ordinary people, which is correlated to such custom culture as Chastity, Remarriage, financial marriage and role of marriage folks from Song to Qing Dynasty. Marriage life has become an important theme of this kind of writing with a variety of narrative expressions, for example, the appearance of marriage custom roles, scenes and development of marriage narrative plot patterns. Narrative of Marriage customs in vernacular novels embody various value orientation:making custom as civilization, making customs as interest, making custom as entertaining and making propriety adapt to humane nature, etc. The formation of multiple narrative values are tightly related to diverse marriage customs in Song Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, also connected with the author’s novel idea and style of writing itself. The stylization of marriage life itself potentially restricts the structure of the text, and has formed some plot patterns, such as narration of the wedding custom, adherence to the marriage promise, chastity and remarriage. The plot development of vernacular novels narrates the marriage folklores, and also expresses the narrator’s emotional tendency. In Vernacular novels, there are lots of marriage-custom Scenes depicted, which is the narrative of marriage life. Among them, scenes of acting as matchmaker are the most fantastic, and then are scenes of bridal chamber, which are not only the reappearance of the rich and colorful marriage life, but also play a positive role in shaping image of the characters, rendering secular temperament and transforming story plots.Characters in marriage folklores are worthy of attention in vernacular novels, such as matchmakers, chaste women and husbands. From the perspective of functional roles, we find that matchmakers are not only a certain type of figures, but also with an apparent narrative function, which is related to its folk identity closely. We will obtain some extra valuable findings when we rethink female images and husband images in marriage-custom narration from the point of view of folk characters, from which we can discover some profound changes of marriage concepts in Ming and Qing Dynasties.Based on the analysis of folklore culture in vernacular novels, the narrative study of marriage customs have demonstrated and proved the possibility and necessity of Folklore Narrative in literature, which develops a new perspective on the study of narrative literature and a new dimension for Chinese narratology. Such folk writings about marriage customs in Chinese narrative literature provide sufficient resources for the study.