Research On Peng Jiannan,A Dramatist In Qing Dynasty And His Works

Peng Jiannan(1790-1828)was an opera writer of the Qing dynasty,known as Xiaolu,Meicha and Zhiguan Shanren.He was born in Liyang County,Zhenjiang Prefecture,Jiangsu Province(today’s Changzhou,Jiangsu Province).He was the author of the legendary opera "Shadowmei Nunnery","Xiangwan pavilion" and "Bicheng Fairy Taoist Temple"(unfinished and unknown).This article takes Peng Jiannan and his plays as the object of study,complementing his family life and examining the deeper motivations for his opera compositions and the historical significance of opera.The details are as follows.The first chapter unites the relevant genealogical documents to carry out an investigation and examination of Peng Jiannan’s family history and life experience.Peng Jiannan came from the Nanmen Peng clan in Liyang,which had developed into a large local family in the middle and late Qing Dynasty,prompting him to have a strong sense of family identity.At the same time,it is clear that Peng Jiannan was born in the 54 th year of the Qianlong reign and died in the 8th year of the Daoguang reign,alias Meicha,to correct any errors in previous accounts and studies.The second chapter takes the legend of Shadowmei Nunnery as its object of study.The play was composed by Peng Jiannan and Feng Diaoding,and based on the author’s own postscript and inscriptions from viewers,it can be assumed that the twenty-eight extant plays are not the complete picture of the work,but a part of Peng Jiannan’s personal composition.In terms of motivation,Peng Jiannan was influenced by his field trips and the cultural atmosphere of his time,and he had a special and complex emotional attachment to the exploits of Maoxiang and Dong Xiaowan.In terms of ideology,Peng’s portrayal of Mao and Dong’s love reflects an aesthetic ideal of "Talented and beautiful people",while his political stance actively defends the legitimacy of Qing rule.In addition,the construction process of the Peach Blossom Fan’s canonization can be seen from Shadowmei Nunnery.The third chapter examines the legend of Xiangwan pavilion.It is argued that Peng Jiannan was invited to write the play out of a practical need to make friends with famous scholars and to make a name for himself through opera,and that his wife and younger siblings were also able to become female disciples of the Bicheng Xianguan.In the context of Qing dynasty plays on the subject of mourning for the dead,it is clear that the play not only follows similar modes of creation,but also explores the theme of mourning for the dead and enhances its social function.In addition,based on the text of the play and basic historical facts,the criticism of Wangduan,a famous poetess who is the prototype of the main character in the play,on the play’s "many inaccurate words" is discussed.