Abstract
Recording "the Extraordinary (Qi)" is an essential character of Chinese ancient novels, and both its attributes and connotations have been deeply connected with Chinese ancient historical biographical writing. Chinese ancient novels and Shi (historical biography) are closely linked but not similar, as the narrative of historical biography is based on the principles of collecting the extraordinary for the purpose of instructing the sacred way and expressing the justice (Yi) through rhetorical working (Wen). The orthodox concept in "Confucius not talking about the strange and uncanny" and the general exclusion of the extraordinary in the historical biography and the restriction of the use of rhetoric in writing have on the one hand constructed the essential character of recording the extraordinary and on the other hand promoted the turning of recording the extraordinary into revealing the extraordinary in the ordinary. The favor for the extraordinary is both a national character shown in Chinese ancient novels and a feature of the second culture or subculture what has always been suppressed by the orthodox culture. The paper aims at exposing the subculture and revealing its original state.
First Page
121
Last Page
129
Recommended Citation
He, Yueling. 2013. "The Historical Origin and Changing Connotation of Recording "the Extraordinary" in Chinese Ancient Novels." Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art 33, (6): pp.121-129. https://tsla.researchcommons.org/journal/vol33/iss6/21
