The River As An Archetype In The Modern And Contemporary Chinese Novel

"River" is a comm.on thing in the natural world and it is endowed with many implications which exceeds its original natural meaning in the human language system.In ancient times,"River" has many symbolic meanings and forms some collective unconsciousness,bearing the complicated spiritual implications of human beings and deposits in the profundity of human consciousness forming collective unconsciousness-prototype."River" frequently appeared in the Chinese literature as a prototype and these prototypes of river have a sharp characteristic of time and region.Starting with the various prototypes of rivers in the contemporary Chinese novels the thesis discusses the different literary forms of river in different times,different regions and different works of writers by the prototype critic approach.This thesis will do a synchronic and diachronic study of the prototype of river in the contemporary Chinese novels with prototype criticism.Diachronically,the thesis will illustrate the generation of the prototype of river and its mode and characteristics in the Contemporary Chinese Novels;Synchronically,the thesis will do a study of the cultural connotation of the prototype of river and its regional appearance.With the development of society,the prototype of river links up the ancient time and modern society with displacement reflecting the spiritual and emotional changes of human beings in different times.The thesis also combs the literature works about "river" in the Modern Chinese novels and sums up seven specific prototype as reproductive prototype,Yin and Yang prototype,barrier prototype,redemption prototype,Gun,Yu prototype,River current prototype and Goddess prototype.Through theses prototypes the prototype the thesis presents that river carries the cultural connotation of homeland,life and death and presents different spiritual connotations in different regions in the development of Contemporary Chinese novels.