The Four Masterpieces In The Context Of Consumption Culture

The discussion of classics comes from the stimulus of reality.Literary classics exists as a good model that represents all kinds ofthe best expectation. It sets certain examples and references,which, to some extent, is the best work with its value to read andenjoy. As the contemporary consumer culture is coming,’literaryclassics’ is becoming a special ’consumer goods’. Take the fourgreat classic novels of Chinese Literature as an example, the mainchange is the multiplex existence of classic novels in theconsumption context and some new characteristics produced fromconsumption process. Therefore, the contemporary exits of literaryclassic novels experienced a certain impact, which gives a meaningto the discussion of its destiny.There are three parts in this article. The first chapter is aboutthe origin of classic. First, this part analyzes the initial concept ofclassics from reference books and the works of some theorist, Then,talks about the controversy of essentialism and constructivism inthe constituent problem of classics. The later introduces the causeof the wording ’the four great classic novels of Chinese Literature,and also analyzes the canonization process of ’the four’ fromhorizontal and vertical dimensions.The second chapter is the four great classic literatures in consumption culture. This part begins from what is consumptionculture. The later introduces the various forms of four greatclassical novels, such as books、films、animations、computergames and stamps.The third chapter is the four great classic literatures’ newtraits in the context of the consumer culture. From the consumptionof the four great classic literatures, the commercial color isincreasing growing. From the perspective of discourse right, theelite intellectuals has retreated, and the taste of the public powercontinue to strengthen. From the aesthetic value orientation, thereare four aspects，complication、amusement、marvelous spectacleand kitsch. From the way of literature acceptance, people incline tochoose image reading、digital reading and consumption reading.The construction and reconstruction of the four great classicwill never stop. We must recognize that literary classics faced witha certain degree of challenges. But they will not to an end.Facingthe difficult situation of literary classic,it is necessary to build aninteractive platform between film、 television and literature,common readers and intellectual elites.