Chinese Images In German Baroque Novels In The 17^TH Century

The 17 th century was a turning point in the evolution of China’s image in Europe.Before that,Europe’s evaluation of China was positive,in which Jesuits played a great role.China was known as the "great empire of China".Since then,the evaluation of China has gradually become negative.China is known as a "stagnant Empire"."Manchu conquered China " After the incident spread to Europe,it had a great impact.In literature,a number of plays and novels with this theme appeared in Europe,including several German Baroque novels.Like most Europeans at that time,the authors had never been to China,and most of their understanding of China came from the reports of missionaries.Therefore,many novels were influenced by Catholicism,German Baroque novels in the 17 th century are essentially the product of colonial expansion in the field of literature.In German Baroque novels in the 17 th century,China is regarded as a stage background to show the chivalry of Europe.At this time,German literature was keen to imitate foreign countries,especially court historical novels,which had the characteristics of typical European knight literature.These novels have European traditional storylines,such as the emotion between the protagonists determines national affairs.Like many ancient Greek literature,fate plays a key role in the novel.The hero in a foreign land pursues his love,which is often full of hardships.The length of the novel is often very large,the narrative mode is also very complex,and many contents unrelated to the main plot are added.The characters in the novel are very single.For example,the protagonists are perfect knights,and all princesses are beautiful.The princess in distress is always waiting for the rescue of the knight.After the event of "Tatar conquering China" spread to Europe,Chinese characters and history began to appear in literature,but these characters were more like Europeans with Chinese names,and these histories were also used to tell the love story between European knights and princesses.Secondly,China is regarded as a rich country,located in the paradise of the East,but this country is in danger because of its pagan beliefs.In ancient times,China was the oriental country that produced silk,tea and porcelain.In the Middle Ages,the power of the northern Tatars and the wealth of the southern Khitan attracted the attention of Europeans.Since then,a peaceful and rich China has gradually appeared in German novels.However,in these works,Chinese religion is described as a ridiculous deception,and the Chinese people in the dark of paganism can only wait for the salvation of Christ.In the German Baroque novels of the 17 th century,Adam Schall became the Confessor of Shunzhi.They often discussed religious issues.Adam Schall also told Shunzhi about the situation of Chinese provinces.In the novel,Shunzhi is a devout Catholic and established a Christian Empire in China.The unearthed stone tablet proves that Christianity existed in ancient China.China’s empress and Prince have converted to Catholicism.So far,China has completed Christianization.Carrying the mission of the holy Empire,Germany has reestablished the Christian Empire around the world as its grand ideal,which is also reflected in the literary works of the 17 th century.