Chinese Journal of Literary Criticism

No.4, 2021

 

Narrative Space in the Narrative Tradition of the Chinese Novel

(Abstract)

 

Long Diyong

 

The term “narrative space” refers to places or environments in which narrative action happens. Studying the narration of Chinese novels in the perspective of narrative space, we can see Chinese novels have formally formed unique narrative tradition since the Tang Dynasty. The most prominent feature of which is: narrative space usually coexists with story space in the same narrative text, and then becomes an important component of the narrative structure and literary rhetoric of the text. Whether in classical Chinese novels or vernacular novels, narrative space has been regarded as the most stylistic and recognizable form in the narrative tradition of ancient Chinese novels across tang legend to the late Qing Dynasty, even appeared in May Fourth new literature influenced by the West.