An Analysis Of Andrew H. Plaks Chinese Narrative

Novel has to be a novel, the key is that it must have a story, which certainly has its specific modes of presentation, so only constructed narrative-based theory can be applied to the criticism of novel. Furthermore, it’s significant and reasonable to use narrative theory to study the classical novel.20th century narratology, during that period narrative theory broke through the limitations of the traditional impressionistic criticism and dogmatism criticism mode, but captured the essence of the novel-narrative, which becomes the focus of the literary criticism theory. Narrative, is a way of telling story, is kind of explore and analysis to the manner of speaking.However, the former three modes just are based on the perspective background of Chinese literature, while western scholars in the view of western culture given detailed and depth of interpretation of Classic Chinese Novel.Since the inception the four Masterpieces in Ming Dynasty, there have been numerous research achievements and academic viewpoints. However, Andrew H.Plaks did study the four Masterpieces really in different way. In the Perspective of Comparative Literature, he researched these four novels together by referencing the exist Novel Critique and combining Western modern theory of novel. His research is focus on the structure of the novel, rhetoric and cultural background of writing, which provided a new perspective and approaches to the study of Chinese Classical Novels.The mainly important reasons for Andrew H.Plaks unified research these four Masterpieces are they have similar internal structure, such as similar detailed plot design, irony rhetorical, the most important one is he believes the Four Masterpieces writing background has very closed association with the late Ming dynasty cultural Ideological trends.This thesis divided mainly three chapters to discuss Andrew H.Plaks’s Chinese Narrative Research. The first chapter focuses on his enlightenment from the research of Chinese narrative. Andrew H.Plaks not only draws lessons from the critique art of Chinese Novel, but gives some further development, which is conductive to the improvement of Chinese narrative system.At same time, the viewpoint of origins of Chinese and Western novel was quested in view of Chinese and Western Comparative Perspective, and the narrative art which was applied into his research of Chinese Classic Literature with the help of Western contemporary narrative theory, they are so unusual and unique against the differences of Chinese and Western narrative tradition and aesthetics background. This article will analysis this problem from both the differences of the literature concept and writer’s talent.The conclusion sumup the value and limitations and practical significance of Andrew H. Plaks’s Chinese Narrative.