Romance of the Three Kingdom The Water Margin

1. Romance of the Three Kingdom &The Water Margin 12.03.2007

2. Romance of the Three Kingdom/ Sanguo zhi yanyi Roman of the Three Kingdom & Water Margin (Shuihu zhuan): China�s earliest novels, in the sense of long stories, at least partly fictional, written in contemporary vernacular and divided into chapters. Both are generally thought to be date from the 2nd half of the 14th century. No information on these works appears in surviving 15th century sources, and the oldest print edition we have are from the 16th century.

3. Romance of the Three Kingdom & Water Margin It is questionable whether these 2 novels are actually as old as generally believed, and even if they are indeed of 14th century origin, they may well owe much to 15-century revisions. What is demonstrably clear in any case is that the 16th century editions vary considerably. Not until the 17th century do both novels become established in a form that would remain definitive for the next couple of centuries.

4. Romance of the Three Kingdom & Water Margin The subject matter of these novels is traceable to popular story cycles known to have been used by professional storytellers at least as early as the Song.

5. A Comparison of Novel in China & in Europe Though translators and sinologists have traditionally used the word �novel� for the Chinese genre of xiaoshuo, this is as much for want of a better word as anything else. To understand the Chinese novel, it is best to review, by way of contrast, the traditional features of the Western novel.

6. A Comparison of Novel in China & in Europe �the Western Novel Western novel: a long story divided into chapters, written in more or less vernacular prose. Yet a Western novel is expected to be a particular kind of story. From about the mid 18th century, most Western novels have centered on the story of a single main character, whose name is often the title of the book.

7. A Comparison of Novel in China & in Europe �the Western Novel The main character, though he or she may be a recognizable representative of a particular social group or type, is described as an individual, a unique personality, whose value lies mainly in his or her uniqueness. The individual is different from other individuals, but the differences are not absolute. The distinctions are subtle, gradual.

8. A Comparison of Novel in China & in Europe �the Western Novel The individual is somewhat better or worse than others�just a bit better or worse looking, moderately more intelligent. The social environment within which the main character lives tends to be but weakly differentiated. This relationship between an individual and his/her environment, in which the individual is distinct by virtue of identifiable but gradual differences, has long been fundamental to the structure of Western novel.

9. A Comparison of Novel in China & in Europe �the Western Novel The Western novel: describes events in some detail because the individuality of the main figure must emerge from an accumulation of such details. Since the main character is usually distinct from his/her environment by virtue of a specific, individual manner of thinking and feeling, psychological processes and events in individual consciousness are given prominent description.

10. A Comparison of Novel in China & in Europe �the Western Novel The unfolding of the story, the action, is described as more or less a consequence of the person�s character, typically as a consequence of one or another reform of unsatisfactory adjustment to the environment. Older Western novels explicitly relate the cause of the inadequate adjustment, its consequences, and the manner of ultimate reconciliation. In modern literary novels, no solution is offered.

11. A Comparison of Novel in China & in Europe �the Western Novel One great problem faced the Western novelist: the individual is supposed to be not only unique, more or less without exact parallel among the other individuals, but also ultimately unknowable to others in the deep roots of his/her consciousness and motivation. This means that the best description of the character�s life is liable to be that which comes out of the character�s own mouth.

12. A Comparison of Novel in China & in Europe �the Western Novel The most natural form of Western novel: epistolary novel, the diary, or the autobiography. The fictionary autobiography (the first-person novel) is a favorite.

13. A Comparison of Novel in China & in Europe �the Chinese Novel The Chinese novel is simply based on types of contrast and opposition fundamentally different from those of its Western counterpart, and this fact has consequences in the areas of plot, description, characterization, and presentation. It would be incorrect to approach the Chinese novel as a monolithic entity opposed to the Western genre.

14. A Comparison of Novel in China & in Europe �the Chinese Novel In the long history of the traditional Chinese novel, we can distinguish at least three main periods. The novels belonging to each period show certain common structural features, but the differences among them are at least as great as those between �Western� and �Chinese� novels.

15. A Comparison of Novel in China & in Europe �the Chinese Novel Moreover, we have to take into account wide variations in sophistication. While some novels were written by authors familiar with high literature and read mainly by literati, others make far less demands on their readership and may well have been composed by authors of limited literacy. The contrast became more dramatic as time went by.

16. The Chinese Novel Before 1550 The first period in the development of the traditional Chinese novel extends until about 1550. The structure of the earliest novels is determined by an absolute conflict: the 2 conflicting elements, whether they are persons, states, ideals or values, are diametrically opposed, and the conflcit is only ended when one party definitively triumphs over the other.

17. The Chinese Novel Before 1550 The simplest story is that of conflict between 2 persons, preferably heroes, each superlatively strong, one of whom ultimately defeats the other. Matter become more complex when the main conflict is between self-interest and social obligations, of which are presented in themselves as normal. Characters suppress their desires, even sacrifice their lives, to fulfill their obligations. E.g. suicide in the interest of a friend.

18. The Chinese Novel Before 1550 There are also novels of total rebellion: the hero chooses to fulfill his own desires at any cost, defying all social, legal, and religion conventions. The story is still more complex in cases of conflict between two different social obligations both of which are valid-- e.g. between the claims of friendship and of loyalty to the ruler. The development of the story always proceeds toward a clear climax.

19. The Chinese Novel Before 1550 1. The hero is confronted with a series of trials/opponents, in increasing order of danger and difficulty but wins definitive victory 2. As the story progresses, the conflict increases not only in physical but in emotional intensity. E.g. the heroes join hands in rebellion against a tyrannical regime, but once they are successful, they fall into dispute. The leader, now the emperor, must consolidate his position for his former friends are now dangerous rivals.

20. The Chinese Novel Before 1550 Characterization of the simplest kind�not surprisingly, since conflicts are not perceived to have their origins in any supposedly unique individual personality of the main character. Hence, there is little need to seek to penetrate into the murky depths of his soul.

21. The Chinese Novel Before 1550 The character in a Chinese novel derives his salient personal attributes from the nature of his role in the conflict, and not the other way around. In most novels of this first period, the characters are well-known types: e.g. the wise ruler, the honest judge, the corrupt officer, the chaste woman--or their opposites. In the interest of dramatic tension, the counterpoised opponents must be equal in stature.

22. The Chinese Novel Before 1550 In the old novels, the story tells itself. It is written in the 3rd person and the author is not much in evidence. The novel�s chief merit is its ability to amuse. If it succeeds in entertaining it is unimportant whether the events it narrates are based on facts. The story is often embellished with various stylistic devices: poems, passages in parallel prose etc.

23. Romance of the Three Kingdom/ Sanguo zhi yanyi Its oldest surviving printed version is a magnificent edition produced in 1522. The authorship is attributed to Luo Guanzhong (ca 1330-1440). The novel originally consists of 240 sections, which were later combined into 120 chapters. The standard version was edited by Mao Zonggang in 17th -18th century. He added an extensive critical commentary after the example of Jin Shengtan�s edition of Water Margin. The first edition of Mao�s version came out in 1680.

24. The Content of Romance of the Three Kingdom It tells the history of the Chinese civil wars in the period from 180-280 A.D. After the Yellow Turban Uprising and many other disturbances, the empire is finally divided into three regions, each with its military leader: Cao Cao in the North, Sun Quan in the SE, & Liu Bei in Sichuan.

25. The Content of Romance of the Three Kingdom In 220-221, these leader and their various sons and successors set themselves up as emperor: the Han Dynasty is followed by the Three Kingdoms of Wei, Wu, and Shu-Han. Unity is not restored until 280 A.D., when the Jin, the successor to the Wei, which had annexed Shu-Han in 263, succeeds in conquering Wu.

26. Romance of the Three Kingdom Despite the title, the emphasis of the book is not on the Three Kingdom period (220-280) but on the era that led up to the tripartition. In contrast to the official heroes, which regard the Wei as the legitimate successor to the Han, the novel presents Shu-Han as the true lawful heir on the grounds that Liu Bei was supposedly, a member of the imperial family of the Han Dynasty.

27. Romance of the Three Kingdom Accordingly, the main characters of the novels are, in the first place, Liu Bei and his sworn brothers, the warrior-ous but overly proud Guan Yu, the heroic but impulsive and heavy-drinking Zhang Fei. Later Liu Bei also is much aided by the wise counselor Zhuge Liang. Joining forces, Liu Bei and Sun Quan manage to turn back Cao Cao in the battle at Red Cliff, which Cao Cao�s armada sailing down the Yangzi is devastated by fire.

28. Romance of the Three Kingdom Subsequently, Guan Yu, overconfident and careless, is killed by Sun Quan�s men, whereupon Liu Bei, disregarding Zhuge Liang�s warnings, decides to go to war against Wu (Sun Quan�s state). Liu Bei loses his life. Zhuge Liang stays on as chancellor to Liu Bei�s son, but despite his efforts to bring about the defeat of Wei, his loyalty is in vain.

29. Analysis of Romance of the Three Kingdom The Romance of the Three Kingdom is a very long novel featuring a tremendous variety of events and a huge cast of characters, a unifying motif is that of lasting conflict: conflict between Liu Bei (Shu-Han) and Cao Cao (Wei), and also the moral conflict between yi (the code of governing the behavior of sworn brothers) and zhong (loyalty between ruler and minister).

30. Analysis of Romance of the Three Kingdom The heroes and heroines are kings, generals, chancellors, and concubines; their great deeds are described in epic terms. The language of Romance of the Three Kingdom is a simple classical style that includes a few elements of the spoken language; the dialog ranges from purely literary to unadulterated vernacular.

31. The Water Margin/ The Shuihu zhuan The oldest fully preserved version of The Water Margin date from the early years of the Wanli period (1573-1620), although a few chapters still sruvive from an earlier edition (ca. 1550). The Water Margin is attributed to Shi Nai�an, of whose life nothing is reliably known. The novel is said to have been revised by Luo Guanzhong, but it has also been claimed that Luo collaborated with Shi during the original writing.

32. The Water Margin The novel centers around the tales of the noble robbers in the Liangshan Marshes under Song Jiang�s leadership. There is some historical truth in this material. In the early years of the 12th century a gang led by a certain Song Liang is known to have operated in districts near Kaifeng. Later, numerous tales of different origin came to be associated with the exploits of this gang.

33. The Water Margin The increasing accretions to the cycle can be clearly seen in the Xuanhe Yishi (Anecdotes from the Xuanhe period, 1119-1125). Eventually the band comes to comprise, aside from the rank and file, 36 main and 72 secondary heroes and heroines, each with his or her unique background.

34. The Content of The Water Margin The first half of the novel tells the stories of the various individual heroes. In one case after another, the hero, having rebelled against iniquity and injustice, finds himself beyond the pale of the corrupt established society and is forced into a life of banditry.

35. The Content of The Water Margin The second half concerns the activities of the gang as a whole. As the imperial troops are unable to subdue the bandits, they are eventually granted official pardon. Subsequently joining the regular army, they take part in various campaigns against rebels, and a number of the gang�s leaders are killed.

36. The Content of The Water Margin Ultimately, in order to ensure that the survivors will never again revolt, Song Liang poisoned his companion Li Kui during a final banquet: the virtue of zhong triumphs over yi. The 1st part of the novel is undoubtedly the more attractive, including as it does a great number of more or less independent episodes and stories of great variety. These stories provide many fascinating and unretouched glimpses of premodern Chinese society.

37. Analysis of The Water Margin The heroes of The Water Margin are bandits who were originally runners, gentlemen farmers, monks, schoolteachers, military instructors, peasants, fishermen, and laborers. Their deeds are described minutely, often in detail. Both the dialog and the narrative are written in the spoken lanaguage of the day.

38. Analysis of The Water Margin Much use is made of storytellers� phrases, stereotyped ways of beginning and ending a chapter, of signaling a change of subject within a chapter etc. Couplets, poems, songs, and rhymed passages in the parallel style are often used to voice the author�s judgment of a person or situation, or to add emphasis to a description.

39. Editions of The Water Margin The earliest preserved editions fall into 2 groups. 1. originating mostly in Fujian, tends to include a greater number of incidents, but they are told in more summary style. 2. Mostly from Kiangnan, treats fewer incidents but in more detail. This second group includes some versions in 100 hui and other, later versions in 120; in the longer versions, the 2nd part of the novel is expanded with a number of extra campaigns.

40. Editions of The Water Margin The standard version of the novel is the edition prepared by Jin Shengtan (1608-1661). He was an original and opinionated critic. After his version of The Water Margin, he also prepared an edition of Wang Shifu�s Xixiang ji with an extensive critical commentary. Throughout the Qing Dyansty, this was destined to remain the standard version of the play.

41. Jin Shengtan�s Edition of The Water Margin Jin�s version of The Water Margin differs markedly from previous editions. He reduced the novel to 70 chapters by having it end at the moment when all 108 leaders are united. He also wrote a new finale, in which one of the heroes, Lu Junyi, witnesses in the dream the execution of all the other leaders. Jin also added his critical commentary in the form of a general introduction, introductions to the individual chapters, and interlinear comments (in which he often praises his own alterations of the text).

42. Jin Shengtan�s Edition of The Water Margin In 1920s and 1930s, Jin was unanimously praised as a great early companion of baihua /modern literature, but in the People�s Republic of China he was long condemned, for it was claimed that his edition casts a negative light on what was actually a peasant rebellion. Since 1980s (after the Open Door policy), Qin has again been regarded more favorably.