Research On The Image Of The Wise In The Countryside Novels In The New Century

The squire class has always been an important vehicle in rural governance,and the county sage culture is indispensable in rural construction.Throughout the 20 th Century rural-themed novels,the squire class has undergone a profound transformation both in cultural and political-economical aspects.After the founding of PRC,traditional squire class exited the historical stage,and new “socialist” county sages emerged in rural-themed novels.In the second half of the 20 th Century,“county sage” reemerged in new literary environment,and along the waves of Reform and Open-up,writers have chosen the rural elites and traditional Confucianist squires as representatives of the new period “county sages”.In the 21 st Century,with the process of urbanization speeding up,the rural-urban conflicts exacerbate,and part of rural areas in China descended into rout and disorder.Rural re-construction is urgently needed,and county sages once again become a hot-debated topic.With respect to this,county sage figures acquired more relevance and importance in rural-themed novels.They are mostly situated in the cross-roads between tradition and modernity,and can roughly be divided into two categories: “traditional county sages” and “new county sages”,both of which are important forces in rural construction.Furthermore,the county sage figures have become more rounded,and alienation has gradually become a central characteristic of these figures in this period.The county sage narratives in the new century have abandoned both the “tall,big and perfect” model developed in the 17-year period and the characterizations of “traditional county sages” in the new period,and focused more on the contradictions and diverse dimensions represented by the characters.In the portrait of county sage figures in its various types,these narratives emphasized the process of development of these figures,and pointed to their alienation aspects.In the renunciation of grand perspective and “Motif First” approach of the past,rural narratives in the new century explore the “everyday-ness” of county sage figures,situate them in their ordinary rural background,and focus on their dynamic development.In the portrait of these figures,we can also see that the literary motif of rural-themed novels have changed from political revolutions to cultural reflection,from the attraction of city lives to the reconstruction of rural life.Rural narratives in the new century have provided us with a moral criterion for the election of county sages,in combination with their capacities to rebuild the countryside.On the other hand,the vivid characterization of county sage figures also contributed to the contemporary promotion of traditional county sage culture.Based on the examination of the transformation of county sage figures in 20 th Century rural-themed novels,this thesis put its emphasis on the analysis of county sage figures in the 21 st Century rural literature.With the help of textual close-reading and comparative studies,the thesis intend to clarify the literary signification of these figures,and behind them,explore the effects and values of county sage culture in the contemporary context.In addition to the preface and conclusion,this thesis comprised of three chapters.Following chronological order,Chapter 1will retrospectively examine the transformation of county sage figures in 20 th Century rural narratives,and try to summarize the concrete characteristics of these figures in their development across different periods.Chapter 2 will try to classify the new century county sage figures according to their cultural personalities and moral standards,summarize these figures' literary characteristics in their different types,and explore the social-cultural motivations behind them.Finally,based on the analysis of the new century county sage figures,Chapter 3 will try to clarify the new transformations in county sage narratives from the viewpoint of character,aesthetic function and literary motif,explore these transformations' culture values,and ascertain the realistic values of theses county sage figures.