On Death Narrative Of Hong Lou Meng

Interleaved with the novel from the very beginning to the end by the author, the death events occur frequently in Hong Lou Meng and have opened series of beautiful and moving hand-scroll of paintings for our readers. The death narrative, rich in well tackled content,has high artistic values and deep connotative meanings, plays an important role in the whole text narrative and gives readers great aesthetic experiences. With delicate plot, diversified and distinctive characters, plus mixture of imaginary-real creative maneuver, this novel has broken traditional novel creative thoughts and methods.Based on statistical counting and well classification of all the death events in the first 80 chapters of Hong Lou Meng, this paper firstly detailed investigates the characteristics of death narrative. As we can see from the novel, the event plots are unique and distinctive, special attention has been paid to each one; the actors of death events have been lively shaped and have distinctive characteristics; the aesthetic connotations are rich and have high values; the narrative methods are combinations and blending of reality and virtual spaces.This paper firstly proposed and analyzed the main three functions of death narrative of Hong Lou Meng: chapter seaming , finale predicating and plot advancing. The chapter seaming function represents not only on the traverse extending, but also on the lengthways narrative stretching. Again, the death narrative functions predicating, this paper has found that key death events have preclude the finale of this fiction, and several great events are placed on the sensitive position which joints the whole story. Also, this paper has found that the death narrative advances the plot and paves the ways for later chapters.Based on the text analysis, this paper investigates the enchanting fascination of this great masterpiece through characteristics and functions of death narrative.