Jin Yong's novel appreciation essay, about 2000 words

Answer 1

"Appreciation of Jin Yong's novels"

Jin Yong, as the most outstanding representative writer of the new school of martial arts novels, was recognized as the "Big Dipper of Mount Tai" in the world of martial arts novels. His 14 martial arts novels, such as "Flying Snow Shooting White Deer in the Sky, Smiling Book God Leaning on the Green Jade," constructed a grand and charming martial arts world.

** I. Deep excavation of cultural content **

Jin Yong's novels contained rich cultural meanings. Take the Legend of the Condor Heroes as an example, in which Taoist elements were everywhere. Zhou Botong's Kongming Fist was a soft fist technique. This concept originated from Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching. Zhou Botong quoted the contents of the eleventh chapter of the Tao Te Ching when he explained the relationship between "Being" and "Non-Being". It was like "Using clay as a tool, when it is non-being, it has the function of a tool." The doors and windows were used as rooms, but when they were not, they were used as rooms. In the Legend of the Condor Heroes, the most profound martial art, the Nine Yin Scripture, had its first sentence,"The Way of Heaven damages the surplus and makes up for the deficiency", directly borrowed from the 77th chapter of the Tao Te Ching. The following sentence,"The virtual triumphs over the real, and the deficiency triumphs over the surplus", also reflected the typical Taoist thinking. This application of Taoist culture was not only reflected in the creation and concept of martial arts, but also in the creation of characters and the development of plots.

In Demigods, the use of cultural elements was more diverse. The title of the book,"Eight Dragons", was a Buddhist term that referred to the eight non-human beings, namely, the celestial beings, the dragons, the yaksha, the Gandharva, the asura, the Jinnara, and the Mahoraga. Most of the Shaolin 72 ultimate skills in the book borrowed Buddhist concepts, such as the Formless Finger of Calamity and the Flower-pinching Finger. At the same time, the Taoist culture was also reflected. The name of the Carefree Sect was taken from Zhuangzi's Carefree Travel, and the names of its disciples also had cultural origins. Wuya's Wuya was taken from Zhuangzi's Travel to the North, Li Qiushui's name was taken from Zhuangzi's Autumn Water Chapter, and the North of the North Divine Art's North also came from Zhuangzi's Carefree Travel. This multi-cultural integration demonstrated Mr. Jin Yong's profound cultural heritage, making the novel more cultural research value than entertainment.

** 2. Diverse and vivid character creation **

The characters in Jin Yong's works were rich and colorful, each with its own charm.

(1) A typical male character
Take Guo Jing as an example. He was a very representative figure. Guo Jing was dull by nature, but he had perseverance, integrity, and kindness. He grew up in the desert of Mongolia and gradually became a hero under the guidance of many masters. His growth reflected the Confucian values of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and faith. He was loyal to his country, to his friends, and to his love. In the face of the crisis of the Mongol invasion of the Southern Song Dynasty, he did not hesitate to defend his country, even if it meant making enemies of his former brothers. His martial arts growth was also gradual. From the beginning, he learned the basic skills from the Jiangnan Seven Monsters to later learning the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms and other peerless martial arts. Every step was steady and steady. His success did not rely on talent, but on tireless efforts and noble moral character.

Looking at Linghu Chong, he was a man full of contradictions and complexity. Linghu Chong was from the Huashan Sect, and he respected his master, but he was used by his master. He was loyal to the Huashan Sect, but he was expelled from the sect. He looked carefree and unruly, but his heart was filled with pain and helplessness. His love was also full of twists and turns, and his relationship with Ren Yingying gradually developed in the grudges of Jianghu. He had many adventures in martial arts. After learning the Nine Swords Beyond the Swords, his swordsmanship was superb. However, he had lost all his internal energy and learned the Star Absorbing Grand Magic. Moreover, he was still facing the aftereffects of the Star Absorbing Grand Magic. Linghu Chong's image reflected the struggle and persistence of human nature in the Jianghu environment.

(2) A vivid female image
Xiao Longnu was a typical representative of pure women in Jin Yong's works. She had lived in the ancient tomb for 18 years, so she was ignorant and naive. Her love with Yang Guo had gone through many tests, such as kinship and ethics, but she was not bound by the secular world and dared to pursue her own love. She treated love with the rules of Ancient Tomb Sect and the benevolence of Jianghu. When faced with a righteous choice, she did not hesitate to get hurt or retreat.

Cheng Lingsu was a unique woman with a beautiful heart. She did not look outstanding, her hair was sparse, and her skin was yellow, but she had a pair of ink-black eyes that were shining brightly. She silently fell in love with Hu Fei. Although Hu Fei only had gratitude and no love for her, she still helped Hu Fei in every way. She helped him reconcile the senior and junior siblings, cured Miao Renfeng's eyes, showed off her skills at the Sect Leader Meeting, and even sacrificed herself to save Hu Fei. Her love was full of dedication and selflessness. She was the representative of the tragic female image in Jin Yong's works.

** 3. Grand and delicate plot structure **

The plot structure of Jin Yong's novels was often grand and complicated, but also exquisite and meticulous.

Take the Legend of the Condor Heroes as an example. The story was set at the end of the Song Dynasty, when the Jin army from the north invaded the south and the society was in turmoil. The novel began with the life of Guo Xiaotian and Yang Tiexin, two famous generals. They lived in seclusion in Niu Village, but the arrival of Qiu Chuji caused a series of changes. First, Guo and Yang fought with Qiu Ji by mistake. Then, they were surrounded by soldiers. Guo and Yang died in battle. Bao Xiruo was saved by Wanyan Honglie. Guo Jing and Yang Kang grew up in different environments. One was in the desert of Mongolia, and the other was in the palace of Jin Kingdom. This two-line narrative structure interweaved Guo Jing and Yang Kang's growth experiences, the formation of their values, and the grudges between them to construct a grand story framework. In this framework, there were many characters and plots, such as the appearance of Huang Rong, her love story with Guo Jing, the martial arts competition between the Five Uniques, the fight for the Nine Yin Scripture, and so on. These plots were interconnected and linked together to promote the development of the story.

The plot of "Eight Demigods" was even more complicated. The novel revolved around the three main characters, Xiao Feng, Duan Yu, and Xu Zhu. Xiao Feng's background was complicated. He was originally a Khitan, but he grew up in the Central Plains. After his background was exposed, it triggered a series of Jianghu grudges and ethnic conflicts. Duan Yu was born in the royal family of Dali. He had no interest in the throne, but he experienced many adventures in Jianghu and got to know many Jianghu people. He became sworn brothers with Xiao Feng and Xu Zhu and faced all kinds of crises in Jianghu together. Xu Zhu was originally a young monk, but due to various coincidences, he was forced to break his precepts and become the leader of the Carefree Sect, embroiled in the disputes of the martial world. The three clues developed side by side and intersected with each other. At the same time, they were also interwoven with Murong's ambition to restore the country, the resentment between the young lady of Tianshan and Li Qiu Shui, and other plots. Many characters and plots were methodically unfolded under Jin Yong's pen, together constructing a magnificent martial arts world.

** 4. Exquisite and Unique Description of Love **

The love in Jin Yong's novels was exquisite and unique, covering many types of love.

Pure and Firm Love
For example, Xiao Longnu and Yang Guo's love had crossed many obstacles such as age and ethics. Before Xiao Longnu met Yang Guo, she lived in an isolated ancient tomb. Her love was as pure as her person. Although Yang Guo had experienced the prosperity of the world, his love for Xiao Longnu had always been firm. In the days when they were separated, they still held on to their longing and love for each other. This kind of love was especially precious among the grudges in the martial arts world.

(2) Helpless and Tragic Love
Cheng Lingsu's love for Hu Fei was a typical tragic love. Cheng Lingsu silently loved Hu Fei and gave up everything for him, but she could not get Hu Fei's love in return. She could only bury this love deep in her heart and silently protect Hu Fei. In the end, she sacrificed herself to save Hu Fei. This kind of love was filled with helplessness and sorrow, making people feel sympathy for Cheng Lingsu.

(3) Love that has gone through twists and turns
The love between Ling Huchong and Ren Yingying had experienced many twists and turns in the Jianghu. After Linghu Chong was expelled from the sect, he wandered in Jianghu. He and Ren Yingying knew each other and supported each other. However, their love was affected by various aspects of Jianghu, including the conspiracy of Ling Huchong's master Yue Buqun and the disputes between the sects of Jianghu. In such a complicated environment, they still held on to their feelings for each other and finally came together.

All in all, Jin Yong's novels had unique charm and value in terms of cultural content, character creation, plot structure, and love description. His works were not only the classics of martial arts novels, but also an important part of the treasure house of China literature.
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