The Evolution And Cultural Connotation Of Zhang Liang’s Story

Zhang Liang(张良),also called Zi Fang(子房),is one of Han Dynasty’s founding members, according to "Liuhou family(留侯世家)" from Historical Records,"Zhang Liang’s family had been prime ministers for generations. When Qin Dynasty conquered Han Dynasty, Zhang Liang not even having a funeral for his brother, spent all family property, including three hundred servants, sniped at Qin Shi Huang for Han Dynasty’s revenge." Zhang Liang helped Liu Bang(刘邦)to reunify the world, so was classed as "the great schemer" with the holy writer Confucius, the great warrior Guan Yu (关羽)and the holy poet Du Fu (杜甫).After unify a country, Zhang Liang cultivated his mind and became an immortality.Zhang Liang has a legendary life story. After Historical Records’story, the scholar-bureaucrats are creating works about him. To put it simply, Han Tang(汉唐)period text emphasize his immortality image, so Taoism writings regard him as important. Song Yuan(宋元)period texts highly regard his emperor’s mentor image and immortality image, so vernacular story(平话)and drama(杂剧)embody these images. Ming Qing(明清)period texts mainly focus on his knight-errant image, immortality image and emperor’s mentor image, so literary genres such as novel, drama(戏曲) embody these different images.This dissertation makes a case study on Zhang Liang’s story through a method of the Chinese narrative culturology. Based on hackling the literary texts, this dissertation tries to analyze an evolution of plots and character images, also study its culture connotations which influence these evolutions. This dissertation consists of five parts as follows:The first part is an exordium. This dissertation introduces a subject of study, current state of related study and study method.Chapter one is a literature review. This dissertation introduces whole texts condition and an evolution path. According to the time line, it was divided into three periods. Through this part, we can understand a big picture of Zhang Liang’s story.Chapter two analyzes a culture connotation of Zhang Liang’s story with a knight-errant theme. First section traces a context of knight-errant theme, and nest several sections, Han Tang, Song Yuan, Ming Qing, separately analyzes features of Zhang Liang knight-errant theme. Also this dissertation tries to find features and in-depth meanings from the original story of Zhang Liang, based on this, contemplates its creation mechanism and change trace.Chapter three analyzes a culture connotation of Zhang Liang’s story with an immortality theme. First section explains a history of immortality theme, so shows us it’s religious and literary influences. After three sections mainly discusses about an evolution of immortality images from Zhang Liang’s story through immortality thoughts and Taoism, therefore captures an interaction between religion and Zhang Liang’s story.Chapter four discusses about Zhang Liang story with an emperor’s mentor theme. First section searches a genealogy of emperor’s mentors which starts from. Yi Yin(伊尹), and shows interactions among an infeudation relationship, bureaucracy and emperor’s mentor image. After three sections analyzes Zhang Liang story through an arrangement of texts evolution, so discuss about a cultural implication of Zhang Liang’s story, also try to analyze an emperor’s mentor image of Zhang Liang in deep.Chapter five summarizes the changes of Zhang Liang’s story and their meanings, from a literary point of view, draws a law of Zhang Liang story’s changes.