On The Mentalities And Works Of Su Shi, Su Zhe And Su Guo During Their Exile In Langnan

The thesis is to research on the mentalities and works of the Su family, Su Shi, Su Zhe and Su Guo during their exile in the Langnan region. The first chapter explains the research motive and the title of the thesis, elaborates the research method and works on a bibliography. The second chapter describes the impact of Shao-Sheng reforms and the order of exile on the Su family, explains the revival of the reformists, concerning the factors such as the emperor’s mentality and intensification of the conflicts between the two factions. This chapter also discusses the impacts of exile on the Su family and how differences in mental preparation for the worst have influenced the ways the Su brothers coped with the adversity. The third chapter illustrates how the exile environments and events, including political pressure and severe natural environments, challenged the Su family and how they respond, including devotion to natural scenes and art, social support and praying, and re-orientation of meaning and mentality. The fourth chapter analyses the rhyming poems and common-themed poems written by Su Shi and Su Guo, the father and son. Chapter five illustrates how Su Shi and Su Zhe reconstructed the world views, political views and life views subtly in their academic annotations of classics, including Shijing, Shuangshu, Lunyu and Laozi. Chapter six analyses the three Sus’ historical essays to reveal their questions and opinions about the nation and policies.