Chinese modern Folklore emerged in the early 20th century. Greatly influenced by historical and social environment of the time, it boasts distinct era meaning and thinking pattern. There has already been a great amount of writings studying the history of folklore. Most of them are mainly from the perspectives of history of thinking, culture, custom and sociology. "National salvation" and "Enlighten" were the two themes of Chinese modern times. The modern Chinese Folklore, which came into being in the same period, also devoted itself in the movements of "Salvation" and "Enlighten". This thesis, using the methods of theoretical analysis and historical research, combining historical observation with a study of its origin, placing the modern Folklore in its own time and referring to relative documents, tries to study the development of Folklore from the angle of historical theme study. That is to say, through study the historical theme of the time to research the historical theme of Chinese modern Folklore as well as explore the significance and influence brought by the historical theme.This thesis consists of five parts:The first part (introduction) introduces the research reason of this thesis, makes a brief description of Chinese modern Folklore, establishes the research object and framework as well as proposes the significance of studying Folklore through historical theme.The second part (Chapter One) discusses the historical origin of Chinese modern Folklore from aspects as social transition, trends of cultural thought and academicals environment, elaborates the academic background and social atmosphere which leads to the emergence and development of Chinese modern Folklore.The third part (Chapter Two) gives an account of the origin and development of the Chinese modern Folklore, that is how Folklore, as an social movement of academic nature, begins to attract the attention of mass media and other disciplines as well as the subject of the movement "people".The fourth part (Chapter Three) studies the affects and influences to Folklore's development of the time brought by the two themes of Chinese modern Folklore.The fifth part (Chapter 5, Conclusion) elaborates the period features of Chinese modern Folklore from the perspective of theme study as well as holds that historical theme exerts profound influence upon the development of Chinese modern Folklore and it is a must to study the history of Folklore through theme study. In Conclusion, the author further emphasizes this viewpoint and presents his own point of view. |