Tell you with a traditional story
The differences between novels, dramas and poems
——The third article of "Articles Through the Ages"
Carrying out literary exchange activities is a good form of analysis, discussion, identification and improvement, and is worthy of promotion. However, there is a popular saying in literary circles: Don’t listen to so-called novelists who have never written works that shocked the literary world and influenced society, and don’t listen to essayists who have never written works that are widely read and praised. Don't ask so-called poets who have no popular poems to talk about how to write poetry. Therefore, let’s talk about stories.
The source of literature in our country has a long history. From the Book of Songs thousands of years ago to the late Qing Dynasty and modern times, a large number of excellent works have been produced. The level of works in various genres is so high that today's authors and works cannot match it.
Let’s talk about novels. Novels of the Ming and Qing Dynasties can be said to have reached their peak. Not to mention the four major masterpieces, even the five vernacular short story collections "San Yan Er Pai" in the late Ming Dynasty can be regarded as excellent works. The specific names of these five collections of works are Feng Menglong's "Essays to Tell the World", "Words to Warn the World", and "Essential Words to Awaken the World", as well as "Surprise at the First Moment" and "Surprise at the Second Moment" by Ling Shuchu. At that time, the sales volume was huge and it was very popular among the citizens.
In "Three Words and Two Pats", there are works about marriage and love. occupies a very important position. It is no exaggeration to say that most of the most popular masterpieces are concentrated in this part, such as "Du Shiniang Sinks the Treasure Box in Anger", "The Oil Seller Monopolizes the Oiran" and so on. And "The Passionate Zhou Shengxian in Naofan Tower" is also a very famous article in "Eternal Words to Awaken the World".
This story takes place in Bianliang, Tokyo during the Northern Song Dynasty. The father of the heroine Zhou Shengxian, Zhou Dalang, is a businessman in overseas trade, and his family has a lot of money. Zhou Shengxian had a charming appearance, but her father wanted her to marry into a wealthy family. She would not be married to a wealthy family, so she was not promised a wife until she was eighteen years old. In the late spring and early summer of this year, Zhou Shengxian took his maid to rest in Fanlou, the most famous restaurant in Tokyo. After sitting down, he noticed a very handsome young man. Zhou Shengxian fell in love with this man immediately. But how can we get acquainted with this man? At this moment, a water seller (equivalent to today's drink seller) happened to pass by. Zhou Shengxian frowned, thinking about it. She shouted loudly: "Water seller, pour a cup of sweet sugar water."
The water seller poured a cup of sugar water for Zhou Shengxian. Zhou Shengxian only took a sip and then turned the tea cup back. Throw it away. He shouted loudly: "Okay! But you came to plot against me! Who am I Wu? I am the daughter of Zhou Dalang in Caomen. My nickname is Shengxian, little lady. I am 18 years old. I have never tried to devour anyone." You are plotting against me now! I am an unmarried girl." The water seller said, "How dare you accuse me, little lady?"
Zhou Shengxian said. : "How can you not plot against me? There is a piece of grass in the cup."
On the surface, Zhou Shengxian was talking to the water vendor, but his eyes were always on the young man. The young man heard that Zhou Shengxian was using this method to shout and convey information through the air, so he immediately responded. He also shouted loudly: "Water seller, pour me a cup of sweet sugar water."
The water seller poured a cup of sugar water for the young man. I saw that he only took a sip. Throwing the tea cup back, he shouted loudly: "Okay! You really want to plot against people! Who do you think I am? My brother is a hotel owner in Fanlou. He is called Fan Dalang, so I will call him Fan Erlang." , I am nineteen years old, and I have never killed anyone. I am a good crossbow and a good shot, and I have never married a wife."
Zhou Shengxian stood up and left, followed by Fan Erlang. I went to Zhou Shengxian's residence and lingered for a long time before returning home sadly.
From that day on, both of them were lovesick and bedridden. One day, Zhou Shengxian's father went out, and his mother asked about her daughter's thoughts, so she proposed marriage to the Fan family. Fan Dalang is worried about his younger brother's illness. Knowing what was going on, he naturally happily accepted the marriage. In November, Zhou Dalang returned home. He disliked Fan Erlang's humble background and resolutely rejected the marriage. When Zhou Shengxian heard the news, he was suddenly struck by thunder. He couldn't breathe and fell to the ground unconscious. Zhou Dalang and Zhou's mother only thought that their daughter was dead. That night, Zhou Shengxian was buried. The rich burial aroused the covetousness of a tomb robber, so he immediately dug up Zhou Shengxian's grave. After breathing some air into the tomb, he moved Zhou Shengxian like this. Zhou Shengxian came to life. The tomb robber forced Zhou Shengxian to come to his home and become his wife. You know, Zhou Shengxian's heart was always with Fan Erlang, and on the night of the fifteenth day of the first lunar month of the following year, he finally escaped from the tiger's mouth. At this time. It has been more than two months since he was buried.
Zhou Shengxian came to Fan Tower and found Fan Erlang. Fan Erlang thought he saw a ghost. In panic, he picked up a soup bucket and threw it at Zhou Shengxian. The soup bucket hit Zhou Shengxian's temple. Zhou Shengxian immediately fell to the ground with blood all over his face. This time, Zhou Shengxian was really dead.
In the ups and downs of the whole story, Zhou Shengxian's infatuation and fierceness, and Fan Erlang's recklessness and timidity left a deep impression on people.
The ending of the story is particularly commendable - after Zhou Shengxian died, Fan Erlang still married and had children even though he was very grateful to Zhou Shengxian. He just burned paper every year to commemorate the empty romance between him and Zhou Shengxian that never bore fruit. This plainness is actually the expressiveness of the novel. Novels should be the closest to life itself. If the author treats the ending as if Fan Erlang regrets seeing Zhou Shengxian dead, so he picks up the soup bucket and smashes himself to death, then it becomes a drama, because drama pursues strong conflict; if the author treats the ending as if Fan Erlang Erlang eventually died of depression because of missing Zhou Shengxian. After his death, the two were buried together, and a lianli tree grew on their graves. A pair of winged birds flew from the tree, and it became poetry, because poetry pursues that kind of endless graceful emotion. Among the various possible writing methods, the ending given by the author to this story is the most consistent with the human nature of ordinary people.
In short: novels reflect the true nature of life and highlight ordinary times; dramas create strong conflicts and climax; poems emphasize graceful emotions and are full of romance.
However, what is more thought-provoking about "The Passionate Zhou Shengxian in Naofan Tower" is the fate it gives to Zhou Shengxian. In the author's writing, Zhou Shengxian is undoubtedly an ideal girl. She is beautiful, smart and has a wealthy family. When the author writes about this girl, his writing is passionate and affirmative, but why does such a girl only deserve such a tragic ending? Her father's words could easily destroy her happiness. She fell into the hands of the tomb robber Fu. As a teenage girl, she lived a life of being imprisoned and humiliated every day. It could also be said that life was worse than death. He finally came to his sweetheart's side, but was mistaken for a ghost and died in the hands of his sweetheart. The writer is the creator of the work. He can make Zhou Shengxian and Fan Erlang live happily together with a stroke of his pen, so why must he be stingy with Zhou Shengxian? The emotional affirmation of the characters and the misfortune of fate - what kind of tangled emotions are hidden behind this tangled pen and ink?
The tangled point is that although in terms of personal emotions, the author, as a man, can identify with women's emotional initiative and enthusiasm, but from the general point of view of society at that time, for women, Initiative and enthusiasm, but also a negative attitude. China's feudal society was a patriarchal society that required female chastity and obedience. Society is wary of women who are active and restless. Therefore, Zhou Shengxian had to endure various ups and downs.
Zhou Dalang’s denial of marriage tells us: A woman’s independent choice of spouse cannot be protected by her family and society. Zhou Shengxian's experience of being deceived and coerced by tomb robbers is actually a warning to girls who are eager to get out of home that the world outside their homes is full of dangers. There are traps everywhere and bad men with ulterior motives. The plot of Zhou Shengxian finding Fan Erlang after going through all kinds of difficulties and obstacles, but being beaten to death by Fan Erlang is even more profound - women's chastity is highly valued by society. Although Zhou Shengxian had no choice but to live with a dirty tomb robber *** for more than two months, according to the requirements of a girl in the feudal era, she was not "innocent" no matter what. , if she does not die, can Fan Erlang accept her? After accepting, will he really not care about it in his heart? The author let Zhou Shengxian die in such an anticlimactic way, which actually allowed her to avoid a lot of embarrassment in this world.
Zhou Shengxian is not the only woman in "Three Words and Two Shots" who has taken the initiative in her marriage. We could cite other stories. In "Cui Daizhao's Enemies of Life and Death" and "The Little Madam Gives Money to the Young Man", women who actively pursue love are demonized to a certain extent. The subtext is simply that women who can pursue men's behavior are , basically can do anything. If a man accepts them, he will definitely bring trouble to himself.
Why do traditional societies place much higher demands on women than men in sexual interactions? In the final analysis, it is because men have become the masters of society. Whether society allows women to pursue love as freely as men, the key factor is to see whether social wealth is equally in the hands of men and women, and whether the social status of women and men is truly equal. Therefore, in today's era where complete equality between men and women is far from being achieved, it is still necessary for women to adopt a more rational and prudent attitude when it comes to marriage and love.
In "The Silver Vase from the Bottom of the Well", Bai Juyi once used the tragic experience of an eloped woman to teach those girls who were passionate but regretted it: "One day of kindness to the king will lead to a hundred years of misunderstanding." . A message to a foolish little girl, be careful not to expose yourself to others.” This warning has not completely lost its meaning today. On the dramatic characteristics of Spencer's sonnet "Little Cupid" Yu Xiaoyan
Abstract: Spencer is the most famous non-dramatic poet in the British Renaissance, but his sonnet "Little Cupid" "Love God" has obvious dramatic characteristics.
This article combines the basic elements of drama and analyzes the drama in "The Little Cupid" from the aspects of drama plot structure, drama language, drama characterization and conflicts, etc., and points out that the poet uses these drama techniques to effectively enhance the dramatic effect of the poem. , highlights the theme of the poem and gives the poem infinite charm.
Author's unit: School of Foreign Languages, Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics;
Keywords: Spencer's "Little Cupid" dramatic features
Category number: I561.072< /p>
Text snapshot:
Although poetry and drama are two different literary forms, they are not completely separate or incompatible with each other.
In their respective literary creation practices, poets and playwrights often learn from each other's certain expression methods in order to achieve certain special artistic effects, such as Shakespeare's sonnets, Goethe's "Faust", Dante's "The Divine Comedy", Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales", etc.