Comparative Research On Narrative During The First Sino- Japanese War Among China, Japan And Korea

Sino-Japanese war is a historically important war in East Asia. It not only exists in the history, but also presents in the literature. This paper selects three East Asian countries, namely China, Japan and Korea’s modern novels, centering on the works in two decades after the war, from three angles, which are the war concept of writers, the character image, and the narrative technique, using the method of mutual verification between literature and history, imagologie of comparative literature, and the novel narratology, analyze and interpret the novels of the three countries. Combined with the social background and ideological situation, we can understand the different perceptions of the Sino-Japanese war between the literati of three countries, which has both historic and realistic significance.In the view of the war concept of writers, Chinese works mostly demonstrate the brutality of war, mainly reflecting aggression and crimes against humanity of the Sino-Japanese war. Japanese works mostly put the perspective to their domestic, showing the social chaos brought by this war, but the authors also reveal the "Just War’ thinking. Korean works criticize the damage to the Korean people by this war, and reveal the thinking of taking the advantage of the withdrawing of Qing and promoting independence and freedom, also the development of new education.On the characterization, Chinese works praise the bravery of Qing, and satire the weakness of escape, while showing the brutality of Japanese and the helplessness of Chinese by lot of ink. Japanese works mostly praise the courage and loyalty of Japanese Army. Few writers reveal the negative image of the army, but mainly dominate appreciation. Korean works make a sharp contrast with the Qing and Japan, showing the brutality of Qing and the humanity of Japan. Korean works also describe the Korean people who suffered the war but firmly pursue the modern civilization.On the narrative technique, Chinese works don’t go out of the traditional mode, but there is certain innovation. Through the perspective of the battlefield, Chinese works show the brutality of the war. Japanese works use a variety of narrative techniques, mainly put the perspective on domestic society, show the impact brought by this war. Korean works start from both advanced and backward space, using the new novel narrative technique, showing the difficult exploration of advanced civilization of Korea after the Sino-Japanese war.Analysis and interpretation of the work will help us to understand the change of the thought of three countries’literati. It also advances our understanding of the history of modern literature of East Asia.