Xing-Shi-Yan And Society Of Ming Dynasty

Based on the text, this thesis goes back to the special society, thoughts, and culture of Ming dynasty to research Xing-shi-yan by consulting relevant documents. The thesis aims to summarize and analyze the life of Ming society mentioned in Xing-shi-yan by interpreting the text, trying to demonstrate the life and thoughts of various social classes of Ming dynasty.This thesis is classified into five chapters. Chapter One introduces the social background when Xing-shi-yan came into the world. Moreover, the author explores the cultural psychology of Lu Ren long by a consultation of his biography and the text. As a traditional writer, he concerned about the political situation at that moment, being anxious about people’s life and country’s future. As a writer from lower social class, Lu Ren long can speak for ordinary people although he couldn’t get rid of the feudal era and he had limitations in his thoughts. In Chapter Two, the author depicts the images of monarch and ministers in detail so as to analyze the special relationship between them such as the relationship during dynastic changes, between the loyal and wise ministers and monarch and sycophant ministers and fatuous monarch. From the highly advocated conception of loyalty and filial piety in Xing-shi-yan, the author researches on the mentalities which literary men depend on morality to save the country. The third chapter analyzes the images of officials; discloses the severe corruption of officialdom because of the great forces of the fortune; reveals the vicious circle between the rotten imperial examination and the venal administration by criticizing the Eight-part Essay Examination and interpreting the rotten imperial examination. Chapter Four describes the images of the messes, including kind-hearted nobody, part-time workers, liars, gamblers, Buddhists and so on. The author discusses the shift of the awareness of the common people under the circumstance of commodity economy. Besides, the author also argues the ideal moral standard put forward by Lu Ren long confronted with money worship. Chapter Five analyzes the family life of Ming dynasty in Xing-shi-yan including the relationship between husband and wife, mother-in law and daughter-in-law, master and servant, pointing out the virtues advocated in today’s family life. Finally, the thesis concerns about the change of moral concepts of family ethics by the attitude of marriage, the change of women’s role in families and common people’s attitude towards widows reflected in Xing-shi-yan.