Research On The Image Of Shikefa's National Heroes In The History Of The Anti-Japanese War

Shi Kefa is one of a handful of historical figures with idol charm in the history of Nanming Dynasty.Since his death,his tragic but heroic anti-Qing deeds have never been forgotten as time passed.On the contrary,his deeds have been widely spread because of the high praise given by both the government and the folk society,and repeatedly portrayed by historians.In order to consolidate the rule,the government of Qing Dynasty spoke highly of Shi Kefa and paid tributes to him by means of memorial service,worshipping,and text recording.Out of the admiration and remembrance of Shi Kefa,the folk society has been compelled to extol him as a sage so the ordinary people could be inspired by his loyalty and patriotism.They've written books about him,made research on and chronicled his experiences,written poems for him,built memorial temples for him,and offered sacrifice to him.Therefore,the government and the folk society have jointly built the image of Shi Kefa,a righteous official who is loyal to his sovereign.In the late years of the Qing Dynasty,the revolutionaries selected a number of exemplary figures of loyalty in history and redescribed their deeds out of their needs of antiManchuism.Among those who had been selected,Shi Kefa was promoted as the "revolutionary pioneer".After the September 18 th Incident,in order to unite Chinese people,boost their morale,and defend the country from invasion,Shi Kefa's image was once again processedand promoted as the hero of the entire Chinese nation.There are four chapters in the main body of this essay.The first chapter expounds how Shi Kefa's image was shaped in the late Qing Dynasty.The Qing government officially promotes and stabilizes the status of Shi Kefa by high praise,memorial service,and offering sacrifices in memorial temples.The folk scholars actively built Shi's image by writing biography and poetry for him,renovating his tomb,and building memorial temples for him.Yangzhou people were the main driving force.In late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China,both the revolutionaries and the constitutionalists interpreted Shi's image from the perspectives of the nationality and the times to serve their own interests.Afterwards,Beiyang Government shaped Shi's image by means of textbooks,literary works,etc.The second chapter discusses the construction of Shi's image as a national hero in the Anti-Japanese War.The third chapter discusses the propaganda of Shi Kefa during the Anti-Japanese War.All sectors of society interpreted the image of Shi Kefa by means of historical writing,literary and artistic creation,ritual activities,ceremonies and performances.The fourth chapter describes the social effects of the interpretation of national heroes during the Anti-Japanese War.It is intended to enhance the sense of national identity,foster national self-confidence,inspire national spirit,and unite national strength through the above-mentioned ways of propagating nationalheroes and their deeds.