A Study On Family (Saga) Narrative In Yuan And Ming Dynasty

Narrative became quite prevalent in Yuan and Ming Dynasty, with the great achievement of dramas and stories. Families or sagas have been taking an important role in Chinese culture and even daily life. The majority of dramas from Song to Yuan Dynasty focused on problems in a family or a saga, involving numbers of original motives; stories carting Dynasty usually dealed with love and marriage in the family and a narrative pattern of family-nation took shape that family stories cannot be isolated from the circumstances around. Therefore, the analysis on fundamental motives and narrative pattern under essential social structure of families or sagas is a key point, which help to understand not only the comprehension of happiness and life among Chinese populace, but also the inside structure of Chinese classic narrative.The treatise includes three parts: exordium; the study of family (saga) narrative in Yuan Dynasty; and the study of family (saga) dramas and stories in Yuan and Ming Dynasties (1297-1644). With the complicated composition situation and a few two-dynasty-spanned authors, the discussion is not limited, reviews the correlated study nowadays and points out the blind spot and weakness. The exordium is a discussion on the relationship among families (sagas), Chinese politics, ethics, culture and literary motives. It also identifies the family (saga) narrative. The three chapters in Part I expound family dramas, which occupy over 2/3 of all existing in Yuan Dynasty. Part I expounds the motives involved in those dramas in views of themeology and historical-cultural critics, and explains their special narrative characteristic and literary style with the help of western narratology and traditional Chinese narrative theories. The three chapters in Part II make a study on family (saga) stories in Ming Dynasty and their classification and developing history. In views of themeology and historical-cultural critics, Part II gives an cultural explanation of topics like: "blood relationship and family members-searching"; "imperial civil examination (keju) and family narrative" ;prostitutes and families; popular idea of love and marriage; revenge: reasons from blood relationship to loyal VS treacherous. Some concrete examples in the stories help to expose the relationship between families (sagas) and narrative in Ming Dynasty, and between narration and social structure. Family (saga) narrative in Qing Dynasty and modern time inherits and develops that of Yuan and Ming Dynasty.Some essential conclusions of the treatise: 1. Blood relationship is the most important and principal social relationship, and thepremier essence is family and marriage. The blood relationship-ethic culture makes family (saga) play significant roles in ancient economy, politics, ethics, morals, education, and personal life. The traditional Chinese idea of humanism attributes to that of sagas, and thus the prosperity of the saga became Chinese fundamental and perpetual living desire.2. Families (sagas) involve numbers of literary motives, such as lust, love, marriage-breaking, ethical code, gaining fame or fortune, next-generation education, next and present life, blood relationship inheriting, generation, imperial civil exams and fame, family revenge. The treatise makes a careful study on their motives and discusses their meanings and values. Adiftionally, emphases are put on the history of those repeating and developing motives about families (sagas) and concerned topics, images, motives, and figures. The treatise also explains systematically their development in different periods, and the acceptance and dealing styles of the same motives or topics to different authors.3. Family dramas occupy over 2/3 of all existing Yuan dramas. Family motive and family narrative took their shape in Yuan Dynasty. The distinguished character in Yuan dramas focused on normal families and their lives and formed the tendency of pre-modern.4. A study is made on motives concerned in family dramas of Yuan in vie...