Late Ming And Traditional Culture. "shi Yan"

Xing Shi Yan ," a "NiHuaBen " novel of the later period of Ming Dynasty, was first pubished in the mainland of china in 1992. It has aroused wide spread attention and extensive studies in academic circles from then on. However , at present, the studies of "Xing Shi Yan" by scholars in mainland remain on small numbers of theses, all with single point of view. In my opinion, among the 12 theses, two thirds of them art introduction of the material, including the novels outline and significance. They haven't gone deep into'its literary values. While explaining the text "Xing Shi Yan", this thesis tries to synthesize and analyse and draw comparisen with other NiHuaBen novels in the correspending period, such as "San Yan" "Er Pai" "Huan Xi yuan Jia "to examine the relationship between the intellectual class of the later period of Ming Dynasty and traditional culture .The thesis is devided into 4 parts. Through analysing the novel's selection of subject matter, the first part illustrates that with a compiling purpose of "Setting Models on Later Generations", the novel chooses the subject matter of faithfulness, filinlity, moral integrity, righteousness instead of love and merchant; Picking subject matters from real life directly, the novel pays much attention to the truethfulness of the story itself. Compared with other NiHuaBen novels in the corresponding period, it has the tendency of ethical instruction with a shallow material selection.The second part analyses the author's arientation concerned with morals and values through situation conflicts and characterization. "Xing Shi Yan "attaches much importance to the traditional ethical relationship. It often puts several kinds of human relations into the same story in which the protagouists are put on the focal point of the conflict of ethicalrelations, of which they must make a choice morally. Examing deeply from the matrimony relationship, we get to know the author's opinions onchastity, love, and illeal female. Contrary to other NiHuaBen novels, it strictly observes confulion ethical code, discards sophisticate human craving in order to regenerate traditional culture.The third part concentrates on the novel's narrative pattern and writing skills. Although "Xing Shi Yan" adopts a combined wilting method of narration and argument together, the plot is narrated in a straightforward way, simple indeed, but if lacks artistic feature. With "Setting Models on Later Generations" as a creative purpose, the author lays emphasis on novel's enlightening function instead of it's entertaining function, in order to publilize traditional culture. As a result, "Xing Shi Yan " 's main value is quite different from others.The fourth part is a conclusion. In the later period of Ming Dynasty, commercial economy exerts a strong impact on agricultural economy, hence, the "greedy and lustful" general mood is in vogue in the society. There are many different illustrations in practice about "faithful husband and faithful wife" theory which Wang Yang Ming is in favor of .In the field of NiHuaBen novels in the later period of Ming Dynasty, scholars like LuRenLong brothers closely followed the traditional culture, their novels has a clear tendency for enlightening; scholars like FengMengLong, LinMengChu integrated entertaimment and culture harmoniously and adopted a newtral attitude on traditional culture, scholars like XiHu Lake hermits set entertainment as the only purpose of novels, discard traditional culture totally.