The Study Of Jealous-Woman-Theme Novels In Late Ming And Early Qing Dynasties

The Late Ming and Early Qing Dynasties, a special period in Chinese history, notonly spans two dynasties, but also serves as a critical turning point for social thoughts.“Jealous Woman”—a dramatically rising group—became a momentous label of thisperiod as well as an important theme for literary works. The jealous-woman-theme novels,appearing in large numbers, have then taken an irremovable place in the history of China’sAncient Secular Novels.This paper focuses on novels with the theme of jealous women during the Late Mingand Early Qing Dynasties, touching upon the social backgrounds, narrative form, internalformation features, social status and influences.In the preface is a brief introduction about “Jealous Woman”, including the definitionof “the Late Ming and Qing Dynasties” and also of “Jealous Woman”. Besides, works andoverseas and domestic researches of this them are provided. The first part starts from suchhistorical conditions as social thoughts, literary and life realities, commercial drives, andthen explains the flooding of jealous-woman-theme novels. Exteriorly, the second partfocuses on the narrative form of these novels by relating creative text-writing and structure.In this way, the author seizes the bottom of narrative literature—basic characteristics ofnovels and key points of the creating process. Meanwhile, through the analysis from theperspectives of narration perspectives, time and mode, this paper, by associating the novelswith narrative behaviors, well presents how novels of this kind use narrative methods tomake themselves full of vigor and vitality. The third part centers on the analysis of thecontent and seizes the fundamental feature: novels of this kind, on the one hand,exaggeratedly yet faithfully present an image of “Jealous Woman”; on the other, arediverse and pregnant in meaning. Finally in the fourth part, the literary status of novelswith jealous-woman-theme during the Late Ming and Early Qing Dynasties is pointed outas well as their influence and inspirations on the afterwards literature and marriagephilosophy.The jealous-woman-theme novels in this time are an inseparable part of ancientsecular novels. Therefore, in-depth researches will help us better understand the secularliterature of late Ming and early Qing dynasties and even its culture. This paper has tries toput the labor of exploring these novels in an objective perspective.