On Anticipation In "A Dream Of Red Mansions"

As a western literary theories concept, pre-narrative means narrating something in advance that may happen in future. Western theorists all think, pre-narrative describes future event. However, in Chinese classical novel, a lot of pre-narrative provide hints. This article bases on this situation, and gets pre-narrative that providing hints into the category of pre-narrative, so as to enrich the connotation of the pre-narrative.In classical Chinese novels, destiny, prediction are common. The novel "A Dream of Red Mansions" broke the traditional technique, used many kinds of pre-narrative, provided a lot of samples for Chinese classical novels research. Professor Wang Ping of Shandong University, professor Zhao Yanqiu of Hunan Normal University and so on do a lot of related research. This article from the viewpoint of the combination, provides a new classification of pre-narrative, and summarizes the five basic form of pre-narrative:straightforward Pâ†'P type, opaque Pâ†'P type, simple and clear Pâ†'O type, inverted Pâ†'-P type and evolutive pâ†'P type. Pâ†'P type is the pre-narrative that form and content are clear, so readers are clear at the pre-narrative, and respond to this pre-narrative is also positive. Opaque Pâ†'P type is the pre-narrative that form is clear, but the content of pre-narrative is vague. Only reading to the back of the response, can understand exactly what P means. Simple and clear Pâ†'O type is to point to no response of form, this is a kind of narrate in advance, no repeat on normal position. Ellipsis will not affect the integrity of the story and readability. Inverted Pâ†'-P type is a peculiar form, namely the pre-narrative is to P but the response is unexpected reverse. Evolutive pâ†'P type is the largest and the most typical form of pre-narrative. The pre-narrative is so obscure that readers can’t make out this is a pre-narrative. On the novel text, the reader first thought the pre-narrative is a novel organic component. Until reading to the back of the story, they suddenly realize, the pre-narrative is a deliberately buried little germ, it besides has present meaning outside, still has prompted the meaning the plot of the story. So this pre-narrative has password effects, and readers can unlock code himself through reading.In advance of the classification of pre-narrative, this paper, from two aspects to analyse artistic effect of "A Dream of Red Mansions". First the pre-narrative causes repeated tension. Repeat includes both between pre-narrative and respond, also includes between prediction and prediction. The repeats between pre-narrative and respond, cause a rude awakening, because the pre-narrative in advance imply plot of the text. When reading the response, the readers already have prepared. The repeats between prediction and prediction emphasize story, rendering tragedy atmosphere, strengthen the readers’ feeling. Cao Xueqin narrated the doomed miserable ending in different forms, from different perspectives. Secondly the pre-narrative still forms contrast, so as to enrich the level of the novel and the connotation. The contrasts between pre-narrative and pre-narrative help the readers accurately grasping the characteristics of each character, making characters more stereo and fresh. The contrasts between the immediate environment and pre-narrative add the complexity of the work, and also increase miserable feeling.