Writing In The New Novel Ceremony And Its Significance

Theory of rite is very important category in cultural anthropology studies. Since ancient times, it has inseparable relation with mythology, witchcraft, religion as well as social life. Rite has some similarities and connections with literature in its narration and structure. In the first place, rites belong to semantic symbols, they have distinctive symbolism. In the literal text, they can transmit emotion, pondering or realization. They have important sense in uncovering charm of literature. Also, the original symbiotic relation between rite and mythology causes that rite has its model meaning in a certain degree. Therefore it becomes the motif of literature. Next, rite has very strong structure and order character for setting up the plot of the text, it has important role in suspension of the narration. Also, rite forms reciprocal relation between culture patterns and literal text, making both of them gain broader meaning space.Rite appears in large quantity in the new period novellas, it is influenced by individual author’s life experience, background and cultural factor. Mostly all writers of the new period novellas lived their childhood and youth in the countryside, therefore have much experience about folk culture. Now, this knowledge forms important source of creation. The new period is the time, when society transforms. Traditional culture collides with Western culture, which makes writers being responsible for thinking about the problem of choosing between them, mixing them or exchanging them, resulting in combining the advancing Western culture with the traditional folk culture. Besides, writers’cultural background is also very important factor for choosing to write about rites. For example,"customs recorder" Han Shaogong, who is returning to field tendency, and Mo Yan, who writes on the basis of folk customs and pays attention to the symbolism of rite. Both of them were from childhood influenced by culture of witchcraft and sacrifice in their surroundings, so they tended more to admiring and regression, which are not part of main stream folk culture.The rites in Han Shaogong’s and Mo Yan’s books can be divided into two major parts, such as everyday life rites and rites in crisis. Everyday life rites are mainly those about returning to field tendency, for example marriage, funeral, seasonal changes etc. From these, we can see author’s wish for a happy life as well as identification of oneself inside the community. Rites in crisis relate with reversion of weak people status and political metaphor. They express how writer concerns for life, politics and individual existence. Exploring the new period novellas from the perspective of the theory of rite, it is not only writer’s tool for seeking novelty, its own cultural meaning established relationship with literal text connotations. Thus, it has important meaning for expressing cultural connotations and promoting plot, characters, development of theme and sublimation in the text.