Research On Functional Official Characters In Strange Stories From A Scholar's Studio

This thesis studies some official characters in Strange Stories from a Scholar's Studio.During the process of studying,we notice that some officials arising in thirty stories can't be called official images.We call them"functional official characters",because they have narrative functions.This thesis tries to study the officials from the point of narrative functions and penerate the artistic puisurt of Pu Songling. This thesis contains six parts:In the first part, functions of story arrangement by officials will be analyzed.It contains three aspects:officials are used as media of connection and transition between different stories, penerating clues that make different stories join together, officials make stories broken and continuous,which produces reader involvement and strengthens readers'expection.In the second part, officials as secondary characters which play an important role in portraying the main characters will be analyzed.Some officials experiences used to portray characters themselves will also be analyzed.In the third part, officials which are used to arrange the scenes for the main characters will be analyzed.Though Some officials only appear in the stories temporarily,their appearance build the stages for the main characters.In the four part, officials used as storytellers and contradictionsettler will be analyzed. Officials as storytellers can add stories'authenticity.In some stories,the plot develops to the climax along with the main contradiction formed by some basic contradictions and the officials are used as the settler of the main contradiction.In the five part, significance expressing functions of officials will be analyzed. Some officials used in the stories reflect the impact of official-oriented system,intellectuals'longing for passing the imperial examinations and marrying the high officials'daughters,which has a long tradition.In the six part,this thesis analyzes the narrative techniques and artistic skills which are reflected in the official characters used in the stories.The use of narrative functions of official characters is Pu Songling's conscious artistic pursuit.The functions used in some stories shows that Pu Songling is trying to pursue"Sameness with difference".