Parody. On The Modern Novel Prototype

A key to understand literature is to understand archetypes. Archetypes can be found in many domains, such as religion, theology, philosophy, art and so on. Archetype and the image of God are regarded as the phenomena that reveal the nature of the soul. An archetype can be an original model in the investigation of myth, folklore and literary works. Therefore archetypes are repeated patterns that recur in the literature of every age.Tianpiao was the Cao Wenxuan's fist long novel for adults published in 2005, which lays a milestone in Chinese literature. This novel is a typical example employing archetypes while embodying modern characteristics, where it includes"the Flood"archetype,"the Eden"archetype and"the reproduction"archetype. From the above, we may conclude that although the characters and plots are created by the author himself, they refer to the ancient myths or folklores instinctively. In the literary world, the work sings a hymn to the unique life.The thesis consists of three parts. Part one focuses on archetypal theory. Archetypes are the psychic instincts of the human species. Archetypes are universal in human beings. Archetype roots in the society, history, culture and the inner world of human beings. The author analyzes archetype in the following six perspectives: depth psychology,individual psychology, analytical psychology, mythological anthropology, literary criticism and literature. From the infant, the trauma and the complex of the childhood to the collective unconscious and to the custom, the witchcraft and the rituals, its critical aim is to organize a model of the whole literary tradition across historical boundaries. Archetypes are innate, universal prototypes for ideas and may be used to interpret observations. From the above analysis we can conclude that: fist, the narration of archetypes is not contrary to the reality based on the history; second, in their present form they are variants of archetypal ideas created by consciously applying and adapting these ideas to reality; third, the narration opens a window for the future and provides a visible reality the world within us.Part two explores the aesthetic and the academic value of Tianpiao from archetypal approach. The paper analyses the incarnation, the childhood archetype and the history of life growing combining with the context of"the Flood"archetype,"the Eden"archetype and"the reproduction"archetype. Tianpiao dwells upon the eternal issue in the classic form by employing archetypes. In the book, the eternal issue refers to the relationship between nature, life, the purity and the ideal of childhood, the passion for life forever and the connection with ancestors. As for the classic form, it is the atmosphere offered by praising the everlasting element. Beauty is the nourishment for human mind in its classic form.Part three centers on the author Cao Wenxuan's artistic technique and the aesthetic value of Tianpiao from archetypal approach. Tianpiao opens another window for readers to appreciate it through the angle of archetype. Cao Wenxuan based on the nature and human, children and adults, using archetype and the reality expresses awe and tolerance to life. Cao Wenxuan with full of aesthetic implication of Chinese traditional literature creates masterpieces of integration of classical Chinese aesthetics and modern west one.Archetype plays an important rule in the creation of literary works. The strong archetypal features of the work set the story in the arch of the human civilization, endow the story with connotation at the same time avoiding simple copy of archetype. When Cao Wenxuan created Tian piao, he integrated archetypes into the time rooted in his unique life experiences. He successfully incorporates the approach of archetype into modern novel, which is meaningful for literary creation as well as for the emergence of this novel.