Literature and Popular Culture - Storytellers and Novelists

9 important questions on Literature and Popular Culture - Storytellers and Novelists

What are the roots of Chinese fiction?

Vernacular fiction can be traced back to oral storytellers who manipulated an originally Buddhist tradition of popular evangelism. Written fictional narratives could be found in all kinds of early texts like poetry, philosophy, historical- and geographical records.

What are the origins of the written imaginative narrative?

Zhiguai; an ancient practice of chronicling the strange and wonderful. It emerged during and after the Han dynasty as biographical material based on popular accounts considered unsuitable for official histories. 

What made the Tang dynasty literati experiment with writing more self-conciously crafted tales in classical Chinese (modeled on Han dynasty prose)?

An interest in the wondrous, and a fascination with love themes and legendary beauties as well as a reaction against the prevailing form of writing: pianwen.
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What was the advantage of the classical prose movement over the pianwen?

The classical prose was a better medium for the naturalistic expression of emotions and narration of events than the ornate and symmetrical pianwen.

Why were chuanqi a major source of inspiration for both elite and popular literature for the centruies after the Tang dynasty?

Because of their exploration of emotional and moral dilemmas.

What do chuanqi and poetry have in common?

They both explore values that were based on emotional sensitivity and integrity instead of on rigid or abstract moral principles. Therefore, they sometimes conflict with conventional Confucian moral duties.

What are the contributions of Buddhism to Chinese literature?

  • Philosophical and spiritual themes (e.g. karma)
  • new horizons of fantasy and imagination
  • techniques and conventions of vernacular storytelling (e.g. inclusion of a moral at the end of a tale, emphasis on the stories of ordinary people)

Why was the venue of vernacular storytelling the marketplace?

Because it was the focal point of the Chinese community and where one could hear of everything. It was a meetingpoint, it was crowded and attracted people from all layers of society. 

What makes a Chinese historical narrative so attractive to its audiences, even today?

The combination of a moral character (loyalty in particular) and the ingenuity and fighting prowess of the knight-errant.

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