The Novel A Brief History Of Enlightenment And Primary Chinese Modern Civilization Experience

When it comes to the reconsideration of the modernity in recent years, and its historical footsteps, many researchers focus on a specific historical time--the late Qing dynasty. Besides the historical data, the novel in late Qing dynasty was one of materials studied. "The Novel A Brief History of Enlightenment"written by Li Boyuan, first excavated by the latter Qing dynasty writer, reflected comprehensively China reform movement". This important novel was mentioned agreeably when the researchers studied Chinese modernity.This paper explores the modernity value comprehensively by using the text detail analytic method under the instruction of the predecessor theory. The grotesque and gaudy phenomenon in the late Qing dynasty when the western civilization was just invading China and the complicated experiences in this period confronted by ChineseThe development of Chinese civilization conceived by Chinese intellectuals can be seen from the detailed description in the novel itself. Many problems reflected in the novel that occurred in the process of Chinese pursuit of modern civilization is of timeless value, which is the key point and values of this paper.The whole paper includes three chapters. The first chapter mainly introduces the relationship between The Novel A Brief History of Enlightenment and social modernity in late Qing dynasty. The relationship between the above two mainly lies in the life experience and value orientation of the book's author Li Boyuan, the best representative among the intellectuals in late Qing society transition period. By inspecting his life material, we can find Li Boyuan himself is a "new person" in modern society from traditional period. His life times and special life experience make him form the world vision of an advanced intellectual and sharp eye of discerning the present world, which is the foundation for his imagine vista to Chinese modern civilization trip in his novel-The Novel A Brief History of Enlightenment.Besides, in the novel, A Brief History of Enlightenment, the author mentions significant social events representing the incoming changes between all cross-sections of Chinese society during the period of reform movement for many times. That reflects, the novel, to the author, is a mirror to record the history of late Qing period and therefore set a fundamental era tone for him to write Chinese modern civilization. By analyzing the words in The Novel A Brief History of Enlightenment, we can discover the second chapter of the novel talks about the exact examples and complex feeling of Chinese who are affected by western modern civilization in daily food and clothing lives aspects, which is the primary Chinese modern civilization experience in daily life.The last chapter focuses on discussing the imaginary vista to Chinese modern civilization road. Therefore, we can conclude that, in the novel, the imaginary vista to Chinese modern civilization from sfart to finish is just half new, which is determined by the limitation of the author himself. " The Novel A Brief History of Enlightenment" also therefore becomes to be the most real and vivid record of Chinese early time modernity.