The Study Of "Jian Deng San Hua" And Scholar’s Mentality Evolution In The Ming Dynasty

As ficciones of classical Chinese novel in Ming dynasty, "Jian Deng San Hua" inherit tang legend and enlighten Liao Zhai Zhi Yi, it has an important position in the whole development history of classical Chinese novels. "Jian Deng San Hua" refers to Qu You’s Jian Deng Xin Hua at the turning of Yuan and Ming Dynasty, Li Changqi’s Jian Deng Yu Hua in early Ming dynasty and Shao Jingzhan’s Mi Deng Yin Hua in the late Ming dynasty. The three ficciones are the refraction of scholars’ selection of living ways in different periods, truly reflects the great changes of their value orientation, political situation, and mentality in the background of era transition in Ming dynasty. "Jian Deng San Hua" is one of the hot topics in the study of classical Chinese novels in Ming dynasty. Now in view of the academic study of "Jian Deng San Hua", it is mostly concentrated in text structure, theme, version circulation, novel value, extraterritorial spreading etc. But involved less on the era background it came into being and its reflection on "the mentality of scholars". This article is based on the topic and elaborates it from the following four aspects:The first part mainly discusses scholar’s mentality in the dynastic changes of Yuan and Ming reflected in Jian Deng Xin Hua. As a scholar in that time, the author Qu You obviously has war experience, thus his writings firstly reveal the plight of scholars in the chaos and war times, conveying their strong sense of anti-war. As a literati marginalized from yuan into the Ming, Qu You expressed the thinking of frustration and discontent in Jian Deng Xin Hua, it is a presentation of his variety of discomfort under the high-pressure cultural policy in early Ming dynasty. Plenty of poems used in the novel also become the means of showing his literary talent and flaunting his self-value.The second part mainly discusses the mentality of scholar in the times of peace and prosperity reflected in Jian Deng Yu Hua. Unlike the Jian Deng Xin Hua’s author Qu yu, Li Changqi was a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations in the second year of yongle(1404), a new generation fostered by the high-pressure culture policy of Ming, it is significant for the concept of moral enlightenment for Li Changqi during the study of Hanlin bachelor. This kind of traditional literature endows Jian Deng Yu Hua bright consciousness of Fengjiao. At the same time, the worry of official career resulted from his twice banishment makes the possibility for him to reveal literati’ complaint and abreaction.The special experience "Dong Yi Chang Gan Temple" coagulates into a covert complex of Buddha within his heart. The variety of poetry genre in Jian Deng Yu Hua is the reflection of playing words and consciousness of showing his talent.The third part mainly discusses the savalation mentality of scholar in late Ming dynasty reflected in the Mi Deng Yin Hua, which was written in Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty by Shao Jingzhan. It shows vivid social ideological characteristics of late Ming dynasty. The continuous development of commodity economy, the relaxation of feudal dictatorship and the constantly change of ideological sphere in the late Ming dynasty lead to a trend of materialistic and mercantilist, money worship, excessive luxury, breach of etiquette, which are the main characteristics of social custom in the late Ming dynasty. Mi Deng Yin Hua mainly reveals scholars’ critique of the public morals at that time, thus to achieve their ideal to heal the society and their wish to return to tradition.The fourth part is the key part of the thesis, this part mainly discusses the changes of time and the evolution of scholars’ mentality of "Jian Deng San Hua". Centered on the age, the previous three parts elaborate the scholars’ mentality of the single novel of "Jian Deng San Hua". Therefore, the fourth part mainly makes a comparison and summary of the first three parts from a macroscopic angle. The part makes a summary of the common features and different characteristics of scholars’ mentality. Firstly, this part elaborates the factor of changing times which makes "Jian Deng San Hua" reflect different scholars’ mentality, this part is centered on the time, it will elaborate it from three aspects: the relation between scholars and political, the change of social transformation and scholars’ viewpoint on the novel creation, personal encounter and the refraction of intellectual group. Secondly, this part elaborates the common characteristics of "Jian Deng San Hua" —admonishment and enlightenment, which follows the creative concept of the development of classical Chinese novel.The Conclusion part is a summary of the full paper, this part makes a general summary of the three novel’s mentality of the scholars and makes a statement of its evolution factor and the common features.