The Research On Bo Yi Zhi

Bo Yi Zhi is an important collection of mystery and legend, It is also one of the symbolic works shifting from mystery to the legendary. The ancient scholars thought highly of the book. For example, in the Ming dynasty, Hu Yinglin once pointed out in his work Shaoshishanfang Bicong that there are only about ten stories reserved in the book, which begins with Jing Yuanying and ends with Ma Shizhong. After reading the book, I find the words are rather refined and elegant. Compared with those skillful writers during the late Tang Dynasty, it is probably the Xuan Guai Lu written by Niu Sengru that can not surpass the book. The writer of Sikuquanshu Zogmu Tiyao in the Qing Dynasty also believed that the language of the book is elegant, and the poetries collected in the book are very delicacy. In his opinion, the novels are the better than others.For a long time, people do not pay enough attention to study the book. The question who writes the book is still controversial in the current educational circles. The theme and artistic characteristics of the book are not yet studied thoroughly. As for a story collection covering distinctive contents and art, there is no doubt that the research is not thorough and delicate. This thesis tries to do a comprehensive and systematic research on Bo Yi Zhi, reasonably identifying the book in the Tang Dynasty. Thus, this thesis is mainly divided into the following parts:Chapter one tries to systematically elaborate and verify the problem that who writes Bo Yi Zhi, which is still controversial in the current educational circles. Due to the lack of historical materials and direct evidence to prove that who the writer is, the author obtains some internal evidence from the book to provide the basis for the fact that the writer of the book is Zheng Huangu.Chapter two elaborates in details the resources of the materials and the spreading condition of Bo Yi Zhi. On one hand, this book less uses the theme of other novels as reference, it is written by himself keen. On the other hand, the spreading condition of the story collection is discussed from such two aspects as the version and the spreading of the work. For instance, the story Li Huang has a profound effect on later novel and drama.Chapter three elaborately divides the subject and content of Bo Yi Zhi and deeply analyzes its thematic implication of the book, clarifying the artistic characteristics of the book shifting from the theme of gods and ghosts to legend. In terms of the subjects, writing intentions and techniques of expression, Bo Yi Zhi is different from the previous works with the theme of gods and ghosts. The transformation from mystery to legend also reveals the artistic value of the book.Chapter four states the culture and the social psychology of the scholars in the late Tang Dynasty emerging from Bo Yi Zhi. On the basis of previous studies, the thesis combines with the historical background of the middle and late Tang Dynasty to investigate Zheng’s psychology when writing Bo Yi Zhi. Exposing to such a political background and social environment, the author has to think about it. The author also reveals his contradictory and complicated mind. On one hand, as a faithful Confucian, the author pays more attention to the realpolitik and life ethics. On the other hand, just as many intellectuals unable to change the current situation, the author has to attach his thoughts to Buddhism and Taoism to keep the balance of mind.