Abstract
In terms of social orientation， Chinese martial arts novels of the last century demonstrate strong awareness of the modern nation， nationalism and the public. In terms of cultural form， these novels integrate traditional Chinese culture with the new culture of the May Fourth Movement. In terms of aesthetic presentation， they continue the narrative tradition of Chinese novels， fusing various new genres， creating new styles， as well as constructing a modern “martial arts aesthetic.” An evaluation of the Chinese martial arts novels of the last century is to explain their new social， cultural and aesthetic value as well as to explain how they travelled overseas and became one of the major Chinese literary genres. The evaluation is also expected to identify and correct the shortcomings of the Chinese martial arts novels of the last century. The martial arts novel is the most typical genre of Chinese popular literature， which strongly embodies Chinese tradition and national characteristics. It has enjoyed a wide readership in China since ancient times and has been passed down from generation to generation. The evaluation of the centenary Chinese martial arts novels and the reflection upon the modernity of the Chinese xia culture are of positive significance for the scientific construction of the modern Chinese literary criticism.
Keywords
martial arts novels; evaluation; the xia culture; modern construction
First Page
182
Last Page
193
Recommended Citation
Tang, Zhesheng. 2024. "Evaluation of Chinese Martial Arts Novels in the Past Century and the Modern Construction of the Xia Culture." Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art 43, (4): pp.182-193. https://tsla.researchcommons.org/journal/vol43/iss4/19
