On The Artistic Features Of Zhang Dai's Prose

Zhang Dai was a great master in the history of Chinese prose, emphasizing the harmony of talent and diligence to the free writing state. Based on his unique literary opinions, his essays were with the attractive artistic characteristics.Zhang's essays, with elegancy and humor words, were full of deep and mixed affectionateness: love to the life; yearn to the passing time and sorrow to his Ming Dynasty. He was good at depicting a series of lively characters. He described them with only so few words, but they are so lifelike. Both elegance and popularity can be found in his essays, so Zhang Dai was the first person who had really and truly represented the folk culture and urban life in the essays in the history of Chinese prose. He created the artistic conception through the elaborate painting of the ice and snow, moonshine, clubs, orchid, bamboo, chrysanthemum etc. and the philosophical understanding to the nature.Based on the first hand materials, this thesis makes a deep and systematic study of the artistic style of Zhang Dai's essays. It is worthy of paying more attention to his essays' value to the development of the history of Chinese prose.