Researches In Applause For The Peak Of Narrative Perfection

Applause for the peak of narrative perfection , a short story collection in modern Chinese language, published at the end of Ming dynasty, has four volumes named wind, flower, snow and moon, with each having ten chapters and one story. The wind and snow volumes are the novel of bel-esprit and beautiful woman while the flower and moon volumes are a reflection of the society. During the hundred years after its publication, it has not been widely spread and given enough attention owing to various reasons. But in fact it occupies a special position in the history of Chinese novel. Its historic contribution to the creation of medium-length novel should not be ignored. Furthermore, it has in itself a high artistic value and colorful historic and cultural connotation.For the above reasons, this text made a thorough study of it. Among the six chapters , the first one introduces the ancient and modern version, the author, and the general study of the book. The second chapter introduces the main characters in the book in brief for the fact that not many people know well about them. The third chapter discusses its position and its effects in the history of Chinese classical novel in modern language. Viewed from the development of the classical novel in modern Chinese language, it has the transitional function, and as regard to the theme and writing forms, it carries the heritage as well as creates new things. The flower and moon volumes extend the content of social novels, based on the previous achievements of Jinpingmei .The wind and snow volumes sets the type of novel of bel-esprit and beautiful woman for the end of Ming dynasty and the beginning of Qing dynasty, and at the same time it creates the mode for medium-length novel in modern Chinese language, which has a positive effect on the latter novels of this kind in terms of contents and forms. hence it has an important position and effect in the history of Chinese classical novel in modern Chinese language. The fourth chapter discusses the colorful historic and cultural connotation in the book. It is a reflection of the specific thought and culture at the end of Ming dynasty. The progressive attitude towards love and marriage, the melancholy resulted from the official corruption and degradation of society, and the accurate record of the norms and customs of the era all are artistic presentation of the society at the end of Ming dynasty, which is very important for people to learn about the history and culture of that time..The fifthchapter illustrated its artistic value from the perspective of its localized language, comedic irony, stereotype, the exquisite structure. The last chapter discusses its negative thought and artistic pitfall, based on the analysis of its idealistic foreordination and inappropriate artistic treatment.