| dc.description.abstract | Abstract
“Commentary (pingdian)” is a special way to present ancient Chinese literary criticism. It made a start from verse to novels, including traditional Chinese operas. “Commentary” in Song dynasty had its practical purpose for teaching and imperial examination. It is Liu Chen-weng, one of the pioneers in literary criticism in Chinese literature history in the end of Southern Song dynasty, who not only comments on works of scholars, but also on poetry, ancient writings, and novels. He is regarded as the founder of the commentary on novels because of his commentary on Shi Shuo Xin Yu. Since Ming and Qing dynasties, Liu’s commentary on Shi Shuo Xin Yu far exceeds others in the contents, entries, and opinions.
My thesis plans to discuss the distinctive literary taste in Liu Chen-weng’s commentary on Shi Shuo Xin Yu: Why does Liu choose to comment on novels, the genre despised by traditional Chinese scholars? According to Liu’s reading approach and literary views, I will discuss the style, objects, and contents of his commentary on Shi Shuo Xin Yu as well as the value of his commentary on the novel. The following are brief introductions of each chapter in this study.
Divided into four parts, the First Chapter begins with motives and purposes of my research. Next, I will introduce the object of study appears in the thesis. The third part is about predecessor’s works on Liu Chen-weng in the past twenty years. To present Liu’s rise and fall, the fourth part briefly discusses his life story, including his birth, education, imperial examination, serving in the government, drifting, and living in seclusion.
The Second Chapter, “Comparison between Traditional Chinese Views on Reading and Liu Chen-weng’s Commentary Method,” consists of three parts. First, I will explain relations between reading and commentary. Then, I will compare views on reading in terms of “inferring willing from meaning” with the method Liu uses when commenting on Shi Shuo Xin Yu. The last part focuses on views about reading that “there is no ultimate authoritative explanation for poetry” and the method Liu uses when commenting on Shi Shuo Xin Yu.
Chapter Three is named as “Style, Objects, and Contents in Liu Chen-weng’s Commentary on Shi Shuo Xin Yu.” I will discuss the following three questions in order: What do symbols Liu uses stand for in his commentary on Shi Shuo Xin Yu? Where does Liu leave commentary symbols when commenting the novel? What objects and contents does Liu comment on in Shi Shuo Xin Yu?
The Fourth Chapter introduces “The Genre of Shi Shuo Xin Yu and Liu Chen-weng’s Views on Novels.” I try to seek connections of Liu’s views on novels and his commentary on Shi Shuo Xin Yu through relations between the genre of Shi Shuo Xin Yu and views on novels in Tang and Song dynasties. The following four topics are discussed respectively: special characteristics in the genre of Shi Shuo Xin Yu, views on novels in Tang dynasty, views about novels in Song dynasty, and Liu’s views on novels.
Chapter Five is called “Purposes, Advantages, and Disadvantages of Liu Chen-weng’s commentary on Shi Shuo Xin Yu.” To present special characteristics of Liu’s commentary, the first section deals with purposes of Liu’s commentary on verses. Then, advantages and disadvantages of Liu’s commentary on Shi Shuo Xin Yu will be listed in the following section.
The Sixth Chapter, “Value of Liu Chen-weng’s Commentary on Shi Shuo Xin Yu,” consists of four parts. Firstly, Liu’s commentary “not only improves notions of reading Shi Shuo Xin Yu, but also helps later generations do research on this novel”. In addition, Liu’s commentary plays an important role in “creating commentary on novels and laying groundwork for the theory of novel”. The third part indicates how Liu’s commentary “affects style, objects, and use of language in commentary upon novels.” The last part approves that commentary on Shi Shuo Xin Yu lays a solid foundation for the theory of Chinese novels.
To conclude the thesis, the last chapter includes three sections. To begin with, I will analyze if Liu Chen-weng is the first one to do commentary on Shi Shuo Xin Yu. Next, I will explain why Liu’s commentary on Shi Shuo Xin Yu possesses both rational and perceptual manners. At last, reflection on my thesis will be provided to interest others to think highly of Liu Chen-weng’s commentary on Shi Shuo Xin Yu and served as reference for others when studying this novel.
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