The Development of Popular Fictions in the Ming Dynasty
The development of popular novels in the Ming Dynasty could be divided into the following aspects: 1. The rise of novel creation: The Ming Dynasty was a prosperous period for novel creation. Many famous popular novelists such as Wu Chengen and Lu Xun created many famous novels during this period, such as Journey to the West, Water Margins, Dream of the Red Chamber, etc. 2. Diverse forms of stories: In the Ming Dynasty, the forms of novels also became diverse, such as the ghost stories in Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, the grudges in Jianghu in Water Margins, and the family ethics in Dream of the Red Chamber. These stories all had distinct characteristics of the times and the characteristics of personality. 3. The expansion of the novel's theme: The theme of the novels in the Ming Dynasty was no longer limited to the traditional topics such as talented scholars and beautiful women, loyalty, filial piety, benevolence and righteousness, but expanded to history, politics, military, society, philosophy and many other fields. For example, the theme of Water Margins was "the way of loyalty", reflecting the re-examination of the values of morality and loyalty in the society at that time. 4. The narrative style of the novel: The narrative style of the novels in the Ming Dynasty also became more diverse. For example, the narrative style of the Water Margins adopted a multi-perspective narrative style, allowing the readers to have a deeper understanding of the characters and plots in the story. 5. The influence of the novel: The novels of the Ming Dynasty were widely spread. They were not only popular at that time, but also had a far-reaching influence in later generations. For example, works such as Water Margins and Journey to the West became classics of Chinese literature and had a great influence on the creation of novels in later generations.