Seminar: Aude LUCAS
18 NOVEMBER 19
Speaker: Dr. Aude LUCAS (Post-doctoral Researcher, French School of Asian Studies)
Title: Dreams that Rebounded Over and Over Again: Rewriting and Disillusion in 17th and 18th Century Chinese Tales
Date: Monday, November 18. 2019. 10:00 a.m.
Venue: Room 701, Institute of History and Philology, Academia Sinica, Taipei
Abstract:
Dreaming of one’s successful life-long career before waking up and realizing that the honors and riches previously acquired were all illusions from sleep is a pervading motif of Chinese literary culture. Multiple versions of this story appeared through centuries, from Shen Jiji’s shen 沈既濟 Zhenzhong ji 枕中記 (8th century) to Tang Xianzu’s 湯顯祖Handan meng 邯鄲夢 (1601). As late as the Qing dynasty, this story is still valued.
This talk is about presenting two early and mid-Qing rewritings of this literary material: Xu Huangliang 續黃梁 by Pu Songling 蒲松齡 (1640-1715) and Mengzhong meng 夢中夢 by Shen Qifeng 沈起鳳 (1741-1802). Both stories follow the usual motif, but strikingly depart from the original story as they extend the dream with innovative twists: Pu Songling includes death, rebirth and second life in the same dream, while Shen Qifeng imagines a dream within the dream itself. Both rewritings thus complexify the initial narrative with new rebounds. Furthermore, Pu and Shen’s stories take a rather disillusioned stance: as their main characters are driven by pride and egotism, they make the most of their recently obtained status to indulge in nepotism and misuse of power. Their dreams are blatant examples of the fulfilment of personal desires, just before a “censorship” in the Freudian sense of the term puts an end to this oneiric delight: otherworldly justice in Xu Huangliang, and the dreamer’s own wife in Mengzhong meng. May they be social or private, these censoring instances change the course of the dream and turn it into an opportunity for spiritual enlightenment. Both stories’ conclusions differ slightly, as Pu’s tale gives way to repentance – as in the original version –, whereas Shen’s story is presented as a motive for good laugh.
Analyzing these two rewritings allows one to ponder on the subjective concerns about personal desire and life path at the end of imperial China. How Qing authors rewrote this centuries-old story for themselves is revealing of a solitary and disillusioned feeling that is characteristic of that period.
Organizers:
- EFEO Taipei Center
- Institute of history and philology, Academia Sinica
The talk will be given in english.
lecture
Title: Dreams that Rebounded Over and Over Again: Rewriting and Disillusion in 17th and 18th Century Chinese Tales
Date: Monday, November 18. 2019. 10:00 a.m.
Venue: Room 701, Institute of History and Philology, Academia Sinica, Taipei
Abstract:
Dreaming of one’s successful life-long career before waking up and realizing that the honors and riches previously acquired were all illusions from sleep is a pervading motif of Chinese literary culture. Multiple versions of this story appeared through centuries, from Shen Jiji’s shen 沈既濟 Zhenzhong ji 枕中記 (8th century) to Tang Xianzu’s 湯顯祖Handan meng 邯鄲夢 (1601). As late as the Qing dynasty, this story is still valued.
This talk is about presenting two early and mid-Qing rewritings of this literary material: Xu Huangliang 續黃梁 by Pu Songling 蒲松齡 (1640-1715) and Mengzhong meng 夢中夢 by Shen Qifeng 沈起鳳 (1741-1802). Both stories follow the usual motif, but strikingly depart from the original story as they extend the dream with innovative twists: Pu Songling includes death, rebirth and second life in the same dream, while Shen Qifeng imagines a dream within the dream itself. Both rewritings thus complexify the initial narrative with new rebounds. Furthermore, Pu and Shen’s stories take a rather disillusioned stance: as their main characters are driven by pride and egotism, they make the most of their recently obtained status to indulge in nepotism and misuse of power. Their dreams are blatant examples of the fulfilment of personal desires, just before a “censorship” in the Freudian sense of the term puts an end to this oneiric delight: otherworldly justice in Xu Huangliang, and the dreamer’s own wife in Mengzhong meng. May they be social or private, these censoring instances change the course of the dream and turn it into an opportunity for spiritual enlightenment. Both stories’ conclusions differ slightly, as Pu’s tale gives way to repentance – as in the original version –, whereas Shen’s story is presented as a motive for good laugh.
Analyzing these two rewritings allows one to ponder on the subjective concerns about personal desire and life path at the end of imperial China. How Qing authors rewrote this centuries-old story for themselves is revealing of a solitary and disillusioned feeling that is characteristic of that period.
Organizers:
- EFEO Taipei Center
- Institute of history and philology, Academia Sinica
The talk will be given in english.
lecture