Raiding the Garden and Rejecting the Family--A Narratology of Scene in The Dream of Red Chamber

Abstract

By conducting a close reading and a structural analysis, this thesis explores a narratology of scene in the novel Dream of the Red Chamber(Honglou meng《红楼梦》). The terminology of scene in the Western literary criticism usually refers to a structual unit in drama and a mode of presentation in narrative . Some literature criticists also claim that scene refers to a structural unit in narrative , though without further explanation. One of the main contributions of this theis is to define the term of scene , apply it stringently to the novel, Honglou meng, and thus make a narratology of scene in this novel. This thesis finds that scene as a structural unit in drama is characterized by a unity of continuity of characters, time, space and actions that are unified based on the same topic. Topic plays a decisive role in distinguishing scenes . On the basis of the definition of the term of scene , this theis also reveals how scenes transfer from each other by analyzing scene transitions . This thesis also finds that the characteristic of the narration in Honglou meng is character-centered ranther than plot-centered , by conducting research on the relationship between scene , chapter and chapter title . On the basis of these findings, this thesis also finds that scene influences the development of plot by two means: one is to adjust the speed of narrative , and the other is to adjust the intensity of narrative . By these two means the plot changes in accordance with a periodicity of fast 快and slow 慢 and also strength 强and weakness弱 . Last but not least, this theis compares the novel Honglou meng with the traditional Chinese drama Honglou meng Chuanqi 《红楼梦传奇》(The Legend of the Honglou meng), and looks into the differences and similarities of the scenes and scene transitions between these two literary genres. Scenes are topic-based in the traditional Chinese novels, while they are song-based in the traditional Chinese drama. Due to the length and influence from oral literature and the characteristic of containing large length, the plot in each chapter of the traditional Chinese novel presents the characteristics of huanjin jishou缓进急收 (develop slowly but finish fast). In the traditional Chinese drama, however, in order to grasp the attention of the audiences and to attrack them back after one section is finished, the plot in one chu is presented according to the rule of jijin huanshou 急进缓收 (develop fast but finish slowly).

By conducting a close reading and a structural analysis, this thesis explores a narratology of scene in the novel Dream of the Red Chamber(Honglou meng《红楼梦》). The terminology of scene in the Western literary criticism usually refers to a structual unit in drama and a mode of presentation in narrative . Some literature criticists also claim that scene refers to a structural unit in narrative , though without further explanation. One of the main contributions of this theis is to define the term of scene , apply it stringently to the novel, Honglou meng, and thus make a narratology of scene in this novel. This thesis finds that scene as a structural unit in drama is characterized by a unity of continuity of characters, time, space and actions that are unified based on the same topic. Topic plays a decisive role in distinguishing scenes . On the basis of the definition of the term of scene , this theis also reveals how scenes transfer from each other by analyzing scene transitions . This thesis also finds that the characteristic of the narration in Honglou meng is character-centered ranther than plot-centered , by conducting research on the relationship between scene , chapter and chapter title . On the basis of these findings, this thesis also finds that scene influences the development of plot by two means: one is to adjust the speed of narrative , and the other is to adjust the intensity of narrative . By these two means the plot changes in accordance with a periodicity of fast 快and slow 慢 and also strength 强and weakness弱 . Last but not least, this theis compares the novel Honglou meng with the traditional Chinese drama Honglou meng Chuanqi 《红楼梦传奇》(The Legend of the Honglou meng), and looks into the differences and similarities of the scenes and scene transitions between these two literary genres. Scenes are topic-based in the traditional Chinese novels, while they are song-based in the traditional Chinese drama. Due to the length and influence from oral literature and the characteristic of containing large length, the plot in each chapter of the traditional Chinese novel presents the characteristics of huanjin jishou缓进急收 (develop slowly but finish fast). In the traditional Chinese drama, however, in order to grasp the attention of the audiences and to attrack them back after one section is finished, the plot in one chu is presented according to the rule of jijin huanshou 急进缓收 (develop fast but finish slowly).