On The Narrative Patterns Of Yu Dafu's "May 4th" Fictions

This essay, by using the theory of modern narratology from three aspects, namely, narrative perspective, narrative structure and narrative time, attempts to probe into the unique narrative patterns of Yu Dafu's fictions written during the"May 4th Movement"Period: the tragic images of the protagonists and the narrative perspective of inner-focalization in the first and the third person; his sentimental and decadent element and his sentiment-focused narrative structure; his narrative time featuring a combination of linear narrative, flashback and non-linear narrative. The original autobiographic lyrical fictions are a typical example of his innovation of the traditional fiction narrative patterns, which established his important position in modern Chinese literature.The essay consists of the following five parts:1. After a brief introduction to the historical evolution of fictional concepts and to the changes of modern fictional styles in the content and form, I provide an analysis of the significance of Yu's original creation of autobiographic lyrical novels. My view is that the success of Yu's"May 4th"fictions is reflective of the update of fictional aesthetics– a reinforcement of human's soul-carving and sentimental elements.2. Through a detailed study of Yu's"May 4th"fictions, the essay explains the relationship between the first-person and third-person narration and"the tragic image of morbid literator"and defines the characteristics of the narrative perspective of"inner-focalization"in Yu's autobiographic lyrical fictions. I believe the adoption of the inner-focalization in the third person keeps his fictions from being over-subjective as well as keep the fictionist from being too close to his object. While the inner-focalization in the first-person undergoes a changing period and finally becomes a fine lyrical technique for Yu to bring into full play his personality and individuality.3. Much emphasis is given to a discussion of Yu's sentiment-focused narrative structure. I suggest that Yu's"May 4th"fictions can be seen as networks of feelings, woven with sentimentality and painted with decadent colors and therefore are imaginary structures constructed with loneliness, distress, melancholy and self-pity. This represents Yu's claim that a writer should have asharp-cut personality and enables him to be"a wholesome revealer of morbidity".4. Through a detailed analysis of sample works, I present the style characteristics of Yu's autobiographic lyrical fictions—the interlaced usage of linear narrative, flashback and non-linear narrative, and I believe this composition of multi patterns of narrative time represent the"May 4th Movement"writers'characteristic emphasis on emotional narration.5. An analysis of the causes of the formation of Yu's autobiographic lyrical fictions is presented by looking at the time, the social environment, the writer's experiences and personality and the influences of foreign writers upon him. Yu's fictional technique is an answer to the calling for innovation during a changing time and an"intellectual's""sensitive"expression of that society in that era. I point out that Yu's creative characteristics are not only influenced by European and American romancist writers, but also directly associated with the writer's personality fashioned by his"tragic birth"and"lonely life."...