Li Yu is known for the diversity and innovative quality of his writings; those works of his which remain to us fall under the categories of informal essays (xiaopin 小品), gastronomical writings, the...Show moreLi Yu is known for the diversity and innovative quality of his writings; those works of his which remain to us fall under the categories of informal essays (xiaopin 小品), gastronomical writings, the preface to the Manual of the Mustard Seed Garden (Jieziyuan huazhuan 芥子園畫傳), the erotic novel The Carnal Prayer Mat (Rouputuan肉蒲團), published under a pseudonym and of disputed authorship though which the general consensus accredits to Li Yu, as well as a number of operas, poems, and several collections of short stories. The focus of my paper will be placed on a selection of short stories from Li Yu's collections The Twelve Towers (Shi'er lou 十二樓) and Operas Without Sound (Wusheng xi 無聲戲), series one and two. I have chosen to focus on short stories, firstly in order to have a wide range of material available for analysis and secondly, as these collections of short stories were written for the public eye they are therefore the medium most likely to contain an intended message. Within these works I will seek to analyze certain aspects of the comedic rhetorical devices used by Li Yu and investigate the effect which these create, maintaining a specific focus on identifying said devices as a means of undermining social norms. I have chosen the term 'undermine' as opposed to 'criticize' as there is an important difference between provoking an audience to think differently, as Li Yu does, as opposed to seeking to reform social systems for which there is no evidence that Li Yu sought to do so.Show less
With its maxim wen yi zai dao 文以載道 (literature to convey the Way) Chinese literature is characterized by its emphasis on morality. Morality is a heterogeneously diverse set of codes and norms that...Show moreWith its maxim wen yi zai dao 文以載道 (literature to convey the Way) Chinese literature is characterized by its emphasis on morality. Morality is a heterogeneously diverse set of codes and norms that derives from multiple sources, such as Confucian and Buddhism. Looking at Buddhism, this already started spreading towards China as early as the Han dynasty, and has over time gained a firm foothold in the Chinese culture and literature. This thesis will focus on the function of Buddhism in one of the fundamental works in the genre of the vernacular story: the Sanyan 三言,three collections of each forty stories written by the Ming dynasty writer Feng Menglong 馮夢龍. This thesis will research the function of one particular element connected to morality: karmic retribution. It will argue that because the Late Ming was a political unstable period in which many people were seeking moral guidance to create stability for themselves, Feng Menglong mostly used karmic retribution in a common recognizable setting for his readers to promote morality.Show less
