A Comparative Study On Trivialization Criticism Of Novels Written By Flaubert And Qian Zhongshu

Being the famous French realistic writer in 19 th century and the well-known Chinese writer in 20 th century respectively,both Gustave Flaubert(1821-1880)and Qian Zhongshu(1910-1998)had conducted the comparative research on trivialization criticism,which belongs to the research of Parallelism and Imagology.While the trivialization criticism concerns to the authors’ rational thinking about the disorderly society,the query of moral progress,the disavowal of materialistic trend and the commemoration of declined noble spirit.Consisted of three parts,this paper will give a further discussion on trivialization criticism.Chapter one has summarized the characteristics relating to the literature trend of France in 19 th century and China in 20 th century,then unfolded the trivialization criticism made by two masters.In 19 th century,France witnessed the burgeoning development of scientism and the adverse impact on creation ideas and methods of literature caused by the principle of biology,genetics and evolution theory.Under this background,Flaubert denied the literature trend in respects of the objectivity and facticity of literature as well as its relations with science,trying to approach the return of artistic beauty.As a powerful ideological weapon of China’s literary revolution in early 20 th century,the theory of revolution not only overthrew the old literature,but made the survival of the fittest become a behavioral subconsciousness of a whole generation.QianZhongshu represented the aesthetic nature of classical literature once again,ridiculed and criticized evil humanity,along with the moral retrogressing,conducting a perfect practice on modernity of literature when confronted with the political tendency in the late 20 th century.Chapter two is about the figures of intellectuals,whose humanism vulgarized and the study of similarities and differences relating to them.The intellectuals in the two masters’ novels can be separated to two kinds: one is the bad guy,who harmed others heartlessly to benefit himself during the process of earning the fame and wealth;the other is the mediocrity,who is weak and incompetent to undertake the cause to transform the society.Featured with the disclosing and criticizing on humanity,the main purpose of writers aims to expose the malady of overall modern civilization and the mental crisis of intellectuals.Chapter three tells a marriage tragedy concerning the spineless husband and the libertine wife in the tedious environment.Living with the stiff,dopey husband,the wife,featured with boundless vitality,passion and fancies,could only seek spiritual satisfaction by having love affairs stealthily and squandering money to enjoy life.Eventually the tragedy happened.Being incompetent is not a sin,but being vacant in mind can destroy people’s brisk lives.Both Flaubert and QianZhongshu tend to describe the peacockish,blind and complicate features of women.They tried to integrate the imaginary heaven weaved by the women with the material reality,which can only break all these fancies.Both two masters had exposed the main cause of mediocrity lurking among our society and humanity,which bears significant meaning for modern life in any times.