17세기에서 18세기로 ― 중국고대소설 번영기에 대한 일고찰

Abstract

Until now, Lu Xun’s A Brief History of Chinese Novel has taken the lead in the history of Chinese novel. But Lu Xun’s A Brief History of Chinese Novel has both significances and limits of its own. So there have been constant attempts to write a new history of Chinese novel. I would like to provide a new viewpoint through diverse analyses about writers and political, social and economical aspects of the times woven into the background of their novels. This essay is written as one of the attempts. 17th century can be said as a sort of renaissance because the transition from Ming dynasty to Qing dynasty was in a state of disorder, which emancipated the mind. As for the writing of novels, however, it is not too much to say that 17th century was the decline of the novel, if anything. At the same time, the period was when the professional groups of writing, mainly consisting of the lower literati, appeared and was also when commentators appeared and fiction criticism started and was widely employed. In short, It can be said that 17th century was a transition and a period that Chinese classic novel made a change, a creation, and ultimately a breakthrough. 18th century was in the middle of the time between 17th century that new order in East Asia was formed and 19th century that East Asia ran into Western Imperialism and underwent great changes. Specifically, urbanization proceeded by a development of commerce and eventually popular culture developed in cities and in the countrysides. In addition, a tendency which acknowledged an instinctive desire of man prevails under the influence of Yangmingxue, and social conditions which could meet such a desire diversely due to the development of wood-block printing was made. Besides, merchants who aimed at status-ascent spared no efforts to be cultivated literati intellectual. In the late 18th century, publication, especially publication and circulation of visual media, achieved a rapid growth. That is because merchants who were eager to be members of the literati elite needed texts to learn about highbrow tastes and connoisseurship that the literati must have.