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NARRATIVE ART IN THE MING DYNASTY NOVEL, WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO SHU1HU ZHUAN. XI YOU JI AND JIN PING MEI Amanda Jane Ryder Submitted in Accordance with the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy The University of Leeds, Department of East Asian Studies October, 1989 ABSTRACT The thesis is concerned with the structure and style of the three Ming dynasty novels, Shuihu zhuan, Xiyou ji and Jin Ping Mei. Clearly, these novels are not as simple as they seem - there are multiple levels of interpretation. By using the conventions of form and style the author/narrator manipulates the oral storytelling tradition in order that he may engage in a discourse with the reader. Chapter One looks briefly at the origins of and the influence of other forms on the Ming novel, particularly oral storytelling, drama and historiography. It also looks at the question of readership, concluding that Shuihu zhuan, Xiyou ji and Jin Ping Mei, while imitating popular forms, were written for educated readers. Chapter Two examines structure, first breaking down the novel into its constituent parts, then analysing the methods of composition. It shows that plot is of limited importance and that digression from the plot is the basic structural principle. The looseness of the structure enables structural patterns to be imposed on the narrative. These patterns are one of the ways by which the author/narrator communicates with the reader. Chapter Three analyses the use of language, looking in particular at the classical-vernacular mix; the attention paid to sentence rhythms in order to achieve subtlety and depth of expression: the function of verse and parallel prose; and the use of formulaic language. Chapter Four looks at how the details of the fictional world - setting, characters, and so forth - are presented. In doing so it shows that although realism was not an effect valued for its own sake there are realist passages in the novels. The author/narrator has total and obvious control over the narrative, and any such literary mode or device is simply taken up or abandoned according to the needs of the narratorial presence or the needs of the writer's communication with the reader. Chapter Five considers in detail the relationship between the writer, the narrator, and the reader. Frequent changes in point of view and variation of aesthetic distance produce irony, and as a result several levels of meaning can be discerned. TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Introduction ^ 11. Structure 45 III. Language ^ 8 IV. The Presentation of the Fictional World 193 V. The Writer-Reader Discourse 244 VI. Conclusion 282 Bibliography 286 TABLES AND ILLUSTRATIONS Table 1 Ratio of Vernacular to Classical Markers 139 Table 2 Frequency of Vernacular and Classical Markers in Shuihu zhuan 141 Table 3 Frequency of Vernacular and Classical Markers in Xiyou ji 143 Table 4 Frequency of Vernacular and Classical Markers in Jin Ping Mei 145 Table 5 Frequency of Vernacular and Classical Markers in "Hong Yu" and "Nianyu Guanyin" 147 Figure 1 270 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am very grateful to my two supervisors. Dr W. J. F. Jenner and Mr D. Rimmington, for all their advice and encouragement. I would also like to thank Gary Cockburn and my mother, Doreen Ryder, who both helped me more than I could ever repay. CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION The Ming dynasty (A.D. 1368-1644) is generally regarded as the golden age of the traditional Chinese novel. It is certainly true that this period saw both the right socio-economic and other external conditions for the production of novels, and, more important, the necessary "genre—consciousness". This gave rise to many novels being written, thereby ushering in a new stage in the development of fiction. Nonetheless, it is dangerous to assume that the Chinese novel simply appeared in the late Ming, in a more or less mature form. While it is true that there is a qualitative difference between the novels of the late Ming dynasty and earlier fiction, it must also be remembered that the Ming novel evolved over a long period, and is steeped in both the literary and oral traditions. Ming dynasty fiction is an important part of Chinese literature, but. until recently at least, it has lacked the prestige of poetry, essay writing, historiography and other classical forms. It is not suite true, however, that fiction was totally unacceptable and unappreciated, nor that it was purely a popular form. Amongst the scholar/official class there were enthusiastic connoisseurs of fiction, including several who made great contributions to the study and survival of the genre. But certainly fiction did not have the widespread recognition and respectability 2 enjoyed by other forms. The change in attitude came in the early Republican period.1 Even so, for much of this century there has been the tendency to compare the Ming novel with the European novel - specifically, works like the nineteenth-century realist novels. John L. Bishop, for instance, commented that the traditional Chinese novel "is limited in two respects: the one a limitation of narrative convention, the other a limitation of purpose".2 I believe such a view is shortsighted, coming as it does from a Western (realist) aesthetic standpoint. Most studies of Chinese fiction are extrinsic in nature, looking at the origins of works, questions of authorship, the reflection of society in the work, and so forth. Intrinsic studies are still relatively few (though the last ten years or so have seen a marked increase in them). and the majority are on the Qing dynasty masterpiece Honglou meng (A Dream of Red Chambers). Extrinsic studies are important, and Honglou meng is a great work, but it is also not entirely typical of the traditional Chinese novel. More work needs to be done on Ming fiction, looking at the novel primarily as a work of art, if we are to reach a better understanding of the genre. 1 See Chow Tse-tsung, The May Fourth Movement (Harvard: Harvard Univ. Press, 1960), Ch. iii. 2 "Some Limitations of Chinese Fiction", in Studies in Chinese Literature, ed. John L. Bishop (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard Univ. Press, 1965). pp. 237-45. 3 Two things occurred to me about the Ming novel which led to my research taking the direction it has: the enormous popularity of the novels from when they were first published in the Ming dynasty, and the fact that they were appreciated and analysed by contemporary cntics - in particular Jin Shengtan ¿1\ f± i t ..‘-7 t r , who saw Shuihu zhuan as being on an equal footing with the classics. The former made me realize that the great Ming novels must truly be masterpieces of storytelling: the latter, that these novels are not as simple as they seem and that we need to read between the lines to appreciate the subtleties of the writing, just as contemporary critics did. While the Ming novels contain some passages of marvellous storytelling. I am convinced that the novels are not meant to be taken at face value: their brilliance lies in how old. simple forms (particularly, but not only, oral storytelling) were used as the basis for a discourse between writer and reader. Assuming a sophisticated readership, the writer was able to use the stories to comment indirectly on contemporary Ming society; to view traditional heroes ironically: and to share his delight in popular literary forms with like- minded people. The most important feature of the Ming novel, the one which enables the writer-reader discourse to take Place, is the writer's control of point of view. In order to vary aesthetic distance, the Ming novelist regulates the structure of the novel, the use of 4 language, the degree of realism, the presentation of the characters and setting, and the tone. The three novels I have chosen to concentrate on are superb illustrations of the narrative art of the Ming novel. Shuihu zhuan 7-~- ' ¿"1 (commonly known in English as "The Water Margin") , Xiyou ji & Ur*. >£• ("Journey to the West") and Jin Ping Mei f\P. ^ ("Golden Lotus") are three of the most popular Chinese novels of all time and among the best examples of the genre. Moreover, they each represent a different type or sub-genre of the Ming novel: Xiyou ji is a fantasy, and humorous and satirical. Jin Ping Mei has a high degree of naturalism, and, while criticising some aspects of society as Xiyou ji does, is more serious in tone. Shuihu zhuan could be placed between the two. It incorporates fantasy and realism and high and low styles. Amongst admirers of Chinese fiction, these three works have had a high reputation since they first appeared. The late-Ming critic Jin Shengtan referred to — _j . — j - i i Shuihu zhuan as diwu caizi shu JJ A (the fifth work of genius),3 and the early Qing critic Zhang Zhupo called Jin Ping Mei diyi qishu ^ (the first marvellous book). In the Qing dynasty the three novels came to be collectively known as the 3 The other "works of genius", according to Jin, included the Li Sao%\i 3 ^ ("Encountering Sorrow") ,^the Shi ji ("Historical Records"), the Zhuangzi $£ . the poetry of Du Fu ^ ifj' , and the early Ming play Xixiang ji \5, Mfe ("The Western Chamber") . 5 "three marvellous books".* It Is the aim of this paper to examine narrative art in the Ming novel in general, illustrating my theory with examples from these three works. Chinese Fiction and the Origins of the Novels As I have said, a great deal of extrinsic work has already been done; I do not intend to add anything to the mass of material on the development of the Ming novel.

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