Myth Writing In Chinese Modern Literature

An alternative success and development of literarture, themythological ecriture of modern literature was produced in the clash between the oriental and western cultures. It neither continued the traditional mythological subjects nor simply imitated the western myths.Instead, it is a self-approval for the spirit of its national culture as well as a necessary absorption of the progressive western literary thoughts.Based on exploring the modern authors’ mythological viewpoint and the climate where the mythological ecriture emerged, this dissertation is intended to mainly study the mythological ecriture as a unique genre in modern literature,the spirits it presents, and its esthetic significance as well.In the first chapter, the cultural climate where the mythological ecriture of modern literature was formed was systematically discussed.In this chapter, it was argued that the mythological ecriture was developed during the phase when the decadent fedualist culture has drastically declined. Also,the enlightening appealing of the modern intellectuals and the uprising of Chinese folklores and the revision of the western mythological literature all played the roles of intern and external elements that made it existent.This disseration claimed that the systematic sort made by modern scholars of the research data about the Chinese myths, the further exploration of the national spirits embodied in the Chinese myths,and the practical mythological viewpoint developed from this base have all much heavily impacted the mythological ecriture of Chinese modern literatureIn the second chapter, a summary was made about the relationship between the mythological ecriture and the enlightening theme of modern literature. The myth is a world viewpoint which is handed over in the form of folklore. It is also the original presentation of national spirit, from which the merits and drawbacks of a national character are both orginated. Lu,Xun, Guo, Moruo, and other leading representatives of the Chinese modern writers,made further exploration of the Chinese myths, thecultural cradle of Chinese national spirit and character. They made such explorationsso as to discover the source of motive power for the national rejuvenation.On theother, Zeng, Xubai studied Chinese myths to criticize the deep-rooted bad habits ofChinese nation.In Chapter three, it was discussed that, in the reconstruction of the heroes in the mythological ecriture and modern literature, the moral ineterpretation of these heroes given by the traditional literature was abandoned and on the contrary,the focus was placed upon the contruction of modernity of these heroes. Describing the images of Prometheus and Jesus, the modern literature praised the moral virtues and rebellious qualities that modern heroes must have.These images have become models of contructing the modern heroes in modern literature and as well they have pointed out the direction for these heroes establishment.Besides,it was addressed in this chapter that, though tested by the enlightening reasons, the establishment or description of these heroes was still impacted somewhat by the traditional ideas, such as heroic savior who often appeared in the old literature.In Chapter four, it was observed that the home complex in the mythological ecriture is a typical issue and theme of both global and local significance. Shen, Congwen recontructed the myths to resist the temptaion of human degeneration embodied by the urban people. Another target of Shen’s such reconstruction lied in the recontructing the spiritual home in modem society.And the mythological ecriture of the northeastern authors expressed their homesickness for their land which fell into Japanese hands. The myth of their native complex has a fundamental cultural significanceBased on the previous research illustrated in the above chapters, the fifth chapter presented from the esthetic perspective a summary of the significance of the mythological ecriture in literary history. It was pointed out the description and application of the mythological ceremony in the mythological ecriture have broadened the narrative space of modern literature; Further, this dissertation admitted that the metaphorical employment of mythological images has made modern literature much more poetic. After that, this essay also asserted that the plenty of mythological archetypes have enriched and deepened the romantic qualities of modern literature.