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Matthews, BA, MA ***** The Ohio State University 1991 Dissertation Committee; Aoorovedby Tien-yl Li Frank F. S. Hsieh / . Yan-shuan Lao Adviser Department of East Asian Languies Timothy C. Wong and Literatures ToYusn Without whose love, support, and help this project could not have been completed and Ginny Who grew up in the process ACKNOWLEDGMENTS My deepest appreciation goes to Professor Tien-yl Li, whose rœogillion of Zhao Shuli's literary accomplishment in an era (tominated by political criticism inspired and sustained this investi^tion into the writer's creativity. He devoted no small amount of time to my exploratory analyses, providing incisive observations and guidance to useful directions. Professor Timothy Wong also read part of this study and contributed insightful commentery which further honed its purpose. Professor Huang Xiuji, whose critical biography of Zhao Shuli is uniqie anong several for its scholarly meticulousness, spent many hours answering my many questions, in the pro­ cess clarifying the environmental bækdrop of Zhæ’s fiction, incræslng my apprehension of his distinctive language, and inculcating a sense of the interaction of the writer with the dynamic of his era. Mr. Dong Dazhong very generously and freely shared lix results of his t&TôciOüs and fruitful search for Zhao's lost works. He was also instrumental in arranging my participation in conferences on Zhao Shuli and visits to the writer’s home village in Southeastern Shanxi. Ms. Lo Wai-luen of The Chinese University of Hong Kong provided information she had garnered con­ cerning the reception of Zhao’s fiction in Hong Kong in the 1940’s. Ms. He Qiguang of the Shanxi Medical College collected for my benefit numerous le^nds and stor ies wout Zha Shuli publishsi in various Shanxi periodicals. Mr. Zhæ Erhu contribute! invaluable perspective upon Shanxi villagE: culture and, along with his sister, Zhao Guangjian, supplemented tl% liniments of their father "s involvement in the spirit of his times. Other friends and acquaintances too numerous to name supplied me with materials otherwise unattsincble. Professor H. Yuan Tien provids! pene­ trating insight into the socio-political context that influenced the writer and his ima^, patiently Illuminated the nuances of language in both text and sub-text, and bestowed the most valuable gifts of all: enduring moral support and a loving, stable home environment Hi VITA vJuly 28,1947 ....................................................... Born - Somerset, Pennsylvania 1975 ................................................................... B. A., The Ohio Stale University 1977 ................................................................... M. A., The Ohio State University 1976-1979 ....................................................... Teaching associate, Dept, of East Asiai Languages and Literatures, The Ohio State University 1979-1980 ....................................................... English teacher, Beijing University and Qinghua University, Beijing, China 1980-1981 ....................................................... Teaching associate. Dept, of East Asisi Languages and Literatures, The Ohio State University 1981-1988 ....................................................... Dissertation reæarch, Library of Congress, Washington, D. C. (NDEA fellowship, 1981-1982) Graduate student, Beijing University (1983-1984) Dissertation research W writing 1988-1989 ............................................................ Lecturer, Chinese Language and Literature, Modern Languages Department, Denison University, Granville, Ohio iv PUBLICATIONS “ZhaoShull bixiadejluxlan^unrenjlng: tantan ‘Cuillangchal’yu ‘LiuErheyu Wang (Remembrance of Old China: Zhao Shuli’s ‘The Tax Collector’ and 'Liu Erhe and Wang Jisheng”). $(The Critic) 1 ( 1987): 79-81. “Yj zal gush I goucheng zhi zhong: Zhao Shull de mingmiaoyinshi” lA |§. %{The Hidden Meaning of Structure in the Stories of Zhao Shuli). Tafyim ribâo (Taiyuan Daily) 10 December 1990. FIELDS OF STUDY Major Field: East Asian Languages and Literatures Studies in Chinese Literature TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.............................................................................................................Ill VITA........................................................................................................................................iv LIST OF TABLES....................................................................................................................vii LIST OF FIGURES..................................................................................................................viii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS .....................................................................................................ix CHAPTER PAGE I. POPULAR NARRATIVE AND THE MAKING OF ZHAO SHULI............................... 1 II. THE MAN WHO MADE THE STORIES................................................................ 40 III. THE POLITICS OF CRITICISM........................................................................... 79 IV. THE LANGUAGE OF THE FICTIONAL WORLD............................................................I l l V. TWO STORIES ABOUT OLD CHINA .......................................................................143 VI. STRUCTURE, THEME, AND ABSTRACTION: FUNDAMENTS AND MEANING OF TECHNIQUE IN “XIAO ERHEI GETS MARRIED" ...........................................176 VII. NARRATIVE STRATEGIES: THE CASE OF 229 VIII. OVERVIEW OF THE FICTIONAL WORLD, PART 1: THE NEW SOCIETY AND ITS LEGACY OF TYRANNY.................................................................................... 274 IX. OVERVIEW OF THE FICTIONAL WORLD, PART 2: THE AUTHORITARIAN CONSTRUCT AND STRUCTURAL CRITICISM......................................................... 318 APPENDIX ........................................................................................................................353 SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................................ 356 VI LIST OF TABLES TABLE PAGE 1. The Emotive Function Related to Binary Oppositions in Point of View and Narrative Mocfe................................................................. 241 2. Expanfed Table of Binary Oppositions Relating Functions to their Class, to Point of View and to Narrative Mofe ...................................... 242 3. Flash of Scene Excerpts from the Chinese text of “Xiao Erhei Gets Married” ............................................................................ 354 vii LIST OF FIGURES FIGURES PAGE 1. Interweaving of Binary Oppositions ................................................................. 243 2. Digram of Plot Interconnections for "Xiao Erhei Gets Married” .........................353 v iii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS Zhao ShuUzhuanjf ( 1979): Fudan daxue Zhongwen xl ( Fudan University Department of Chinese), ed. ZhaoShuIfzhuanp. N.p.: Fudan University, 1979. Zhao Shulizhuanji ( 1981 ); Fudan daxue Zhongwen xi, Zhæ Shuli yanjiu zlliao blanji zu (Zhao Shull Res^rch Materials Editorial Group, Fuîten University Department of Chinese), ed. S^Iizhi^/f. Series: Zhon^uo dangdal wenxueyanjiu zlliao. Fidiou; Fujian renmln chubanshe, 1981. ix CHAPTER I Popular Narrative and the Making of Zhao Shull To mid-Twentieth Century Chinese intellectuals preoccupied with defining the pragmatic and moral foundations of fiction (a genre only lately elevated to the ranks of serious literature), the special attraction of Zhao Shuli résidai in his signature of au­ thenticity. The praise and analysis lavished upon his works over the