The Evolution Of The Image Of Song Jiang In The Water Margin

The Water Margin is a great heroic novel,and its most outstanding artistic achievement is the vivid depiction of the Water Margin figures.In the Water Margin figure series,Song Jiang is undoubtedly the most central leader.However,the creation of Song Jiang’s image is not independently completed by the author.It is gradually stereotyped after processing and filling by several generations of folk artists and literary writers.In history,Song Jiang is a real existing person.He was the leader of a peasant rebel army in the late Northern Song Dynasty.Afterwards,through the modification of the talking artist,Song Jiang changed from a historical figure to a literary image.In the literary works of the Song Dynasty,the image of Song Jiang was closer to the historical prototype.he was slightly talented and his martial arts was outstanding.In the Yuan Dynasty,the main literary style of the characters of the Water Margin was the drama.Although Song Jiang was not the main character in the drama,the image of Liang Shan’s leader had already been established.Although he has not yet got rid of the setting of thieves,he loves Liang Shan,justice for the people and is supported by the people.During the Ming and Qing Dynasties,the development of novel creation reached its peak,and Song Jiang’s image was also more full and three-dimensional.In addition,influenced by the novel,operas based on the theme of the Water Margin are more diverse and endless.After the Water Margin was published,its continued,supplemented,modified,and imitated works were also numerous,which had an important influence on the creation of operas and novels in later generations.In these operas and the works of continuation,supplement,modification and imitation,the author not only retains but also expands the image of Song Jiang,and even subversive reconstruction,showing us a different image of Song Jiang.