On Chinese Animation’s Growth Narrative Patterns

A traditional narrative pattern of "growth" themed Chinese animations has been formed along the long history of Chinese animation production. This narrative pattern has some achievements by a certain degree. However, there are also problems in this pattern which cannot be ignored affecting the effect of the animation itself and the development of Chinese animation as a whole.This study proposed two kinds of growth narrative patterns--the surface level pattern and the deep level pattern based on Bakhtin’s theory on growth narration and Chinese animation’s actual production situation. Thus, Chinese animation was analyzed in particular and summarized as indoctrination narrative pattern which tends to be the surface level pattern. Three sub-patterns were sorted out after the analysis of a large quantity of Chinese animations--self-understanding pattern, change by exterior persuasion pattern and the adventure to save pattern. The problems of the traditional Chinese animation’s growth narrative pattern are the deficiency in orientating growth, stress on ideology and indoctrination, the underestimation of audience’s capability of appreciation and the deficient presentation of the uniqueness of animation art.(Chapter one)Compared with initiation novels and films, growth themed animations’special value lies on using the features of animation to construct an exaggerated virtual world which is visible and audible. They bring the audience all possibilities of growth patterns, which releases the real life pressure that the audience have during their paths of growth and fulfills the audience’s vision of ideal growth patterns which cannot be realized in real life. So the free and comprehensive growth is at the core of ideal growth narrative pattern’s subject, and the humanities concern should be expressed to the audience in relaxed and meaningful humor, instead of moralizing.(Chapter two)Therefore, Chinese animation’s surface leveled growth narrative pattern should be changed. Innovations should be made in terms of the animation production concept of growth narrative patterns and return to the nature of animation art. This is the advice this study offered considering the current situation of growth narration of Chinese animation and the problems in traditional indoctrination narrative pattern, and also referring to the experience and paradigm from foreign growth animations.(Chapter three)Hard-working and thought are still needed from all parties concerned to ameliorate and develop our growth narrative patterns in the situation that domestic animations are facing the huge impact from foreign animations.(Epilogue)...