수치의 각인― 청말 민초 「양주십일기」의 문학적 수용

Abstract

My essay explores literati criticism of violence exemplified in lateQing fictional narrative. Wang Xiuchu’s “Yangzhou shiriji” (Tendays in Yangzhou), a memoir written after a literatus survived theManchu cataclysm, displays a wide range of the tucheng (massacreof a whole city) descriptions. This late Ming record was circulatedin the context of the late Qing national crisis, which furtherinspired the distinct political groups to imagine and develop storiesof justifying political messages. Chen Tianhua, for example, madeefforts to inspire anti-Manchu sentiments. Wu Jianren, on theother hand, deliberated on ways to deliver China from theimminent dynastic collapse. Besides their criticism of violence, Inote one main idea embedded in the accommodations of the lateMing memoir: exposure of the lack of sense of shame in China. Despite their distinct political beliefs, they were of the same mindin calling for psychological rejuvenation; thus, they inherited thecontinuing legacy of criticizing the Chinese collaborators who invited the alien races and became the most responsible figures fornational downfall. The emphasis on shame testifies to the everlasting violence andthe perennial pursuit of moral criticism. The manmade catastrophereveals a permanent cycle of incessant outbreaks; as a result, themoral criticism may end in an empty talk since the nationalcollapse is inevitable and the collaborators would come aroundacross time and place. In particular, the moral critics feltunbearable to witness that the collaborators live in glory and fame. This historical reality came as a challenge; but they were glad tomodify the historical records and accomplished an inalienablemission for writing historical fiction: the portrayal of collaboratorswith their disastrous denouement. Especially, Wu Jianren evenrisked to denote historical discrepancy by creating Zhang Hongfanas being discarded by the Mongols after being used up fordestroying the Southern Song. Overall, this project shows anexample for articulating the relationship between the intensifiedviolence and the fortification of moral criticism indispensable forthose who wanted to save China with fictional narrative.