A Trial of Fictions and Folktales

Answer 1

Folktales were oral literary works created and disseminated by the working people in the form of prose with fictional content. From the folktales provided, they shared some common characteristics and functions.

** 1. Story content and characteristics **

1. ** Originating from life and surpassing reality **
- Folktales were usually based on life itself, but they were not limited to the actual situation and what people thought was true and reasonable. They often had elements of fantasy. For example, in the "Beauty Decapitation Case," the story was set in an ordinary rural family during the Northern Song Dynasty. Chen Shimei and Qin Xianglian's family life was initially a very realistic portrayal, such as poor family, loving husband and wife, and the husband's desire to obtain an official position to change the family's fate. However, when Chen Shimei became the emperor's son-in-law, the plot of not acknowledging his wife and children was somewhat fictional and legendary. This plot reflected the possible changes in human nature in the face of wealth, but it was expressed through the exaggeration of the story.
- In the "Spirit Bridge Grudge", Qing Ping Town, the Spirit Bridge, and other common elements were part of life, but the plot of Wan Niang turning into a ghost and appearing on the night of the full moon after her death was a fantasy. This kind of plot reflected people's imagination of love and hatred, as well as a mysterious interpretation of the love that had been betrayed.
2. ** Character image distinct **
- In the "Beauty Decapitation Case," Chen Shimei and Qin Xianglian's images were in stark contrast. Chen Shimei had changed from a poor scholar who had read a lot of books and had ambitions to a heartless person who was blinded by wealth and did not recognize his wife and children. Qin Xianglian had always been gentle, virtuous, beautiful, kind, and tenacious. She bore the burden of the family alone. Even after her husband disowned her, she still tried to find a way to survive and fight for the rights and interests of herself and her children.
- In the "Spirit Bridge Grudges", Wan Niang's beauty, kindness, deep feelings, and the grief caused by being abandoned, Zi Xuan's helplessness, Ming Yuan Taoist's justice, and the kindness of Zi Xuan's descendants were all vividly portrayed. The characters 'personalities and behaviors pushed the development of the story.

3. ** The plot is dramatic **
- The plot twist was very obvious in the case of "The United States Guillotine". From the hope of a family, to the disappearance of news after entering the capital for the examination, to Qin Xianglian refusing to acknowledge his wife and children when she found him, and finally facing the possibility of being punished by Bao Gong's guillotine, it was full of dramatic conflicts.
- In "Spirit Bridge Grudges," the love tragedy between Wan Niang and Zi Xuan, the supernatural incident after Wan Niang's death, the fight between Ming Yuan Taoist priest and Wan Niang's ghost, and finally the high monk ferrying Wan Niang's ghost, etc., all of these were connected, and the plot was full of ups and downs, attracting readers or listeners.

** 2. Cultural Value and Meaning **

1. ** Inheriting culture and history **
- Folktales were an important carrier of culture and history. Stories like the case reflected the social style of the Northern Song Dynasty, including the impact of the imperial examination system on people's lives (scholars longed to change their fate through the imperial examination), family structure and family relationships (husband and wife, parent-child relationship, etc.), and possible social problems at that time (such as the moral problems reflected by Chen Shimei's abandonment of his wife and children for the sake of dignitaries).
- The "Spirit Bridge Grudges" also reflected the social situation in the late Qing Dynasty, such as people's concept of love, the phenomenon of arranged marriages, and the views of the people on supernatural and religious things such as ghosts, Taoists, and eminent monks.
2. ** Rich literary creation **
- Folktales provided rich material and inspiration for literary creation. Many literary works borrowed plots, characters, or narrative techniques from folk tales. The types of characters in folktales, such as unfaithful people and infatuated women, were constantly re-shaped and interpreted in many literary forms such as novels and operas.
- The fantasy elements in folktales, such as ghosts and supernatural events, also provided a source of creation for fantasy literature, stimulating writers to create more imaginative works.
3. ** Revealing the voice of the people **
- Folktales were a way for people to express their values, feelings, and wishes. In the "Beauty Decapitation Case," the people expressed their condemnation of the heartless man through this story, and their sympathy and praise for the kind and loyal women, which reflected the moral values of the people.
- In the 'Spirit Bridge Grudges,' it expressed the people's yearning for love and loyalty, as well as their sympathy for the injured. At the same time, it also reflected the people's desire for good and evil to be repaid and for grudges to be resolved.
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