The Scholar and the State

Fiction as Political Discourse in Late Imperial China

Fiction & Literature, Literary Theory & Criticism, Asian, Far Eastern, Nonfiction, History, China
Cover of the book The Scholar and the State by Liangyan Ge, University of Washington Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Liangyan Ge ISBN: 9780295805610
Publisher: University of Washington Press Publication: February 26, 2015
Imprint: University of Washington Press Language: English
Author: Liangyan Ge
ISBN: 9780295805610
Publisher: University of Washington Press
Publication: February 26, 2015
Imprint: University of Washington Press
Language: English

In imperial China, intellectuals devoted years of their lives to passing rigorous examinations in order to obtain a civil service position in the state bureaucracy. This traditional employment of the literati class conferred social power and moral legitimacy, but changing social and political circumstances in the Ming (1368–1644) and Qing (1644–1911) periods forced many to seek alternative careers. Politically engaged but excluded from their traditional bureaucratic roles, creative writers authored critiques of state power in the form of fiction written in the vernacular language.

In this study, Liangyan Ge examines the novels Romance of the Three Kingdoms, The Scholars, Dream of the Red Chamber (also known as Story of the Stone), and a number of erotic pieces, showing that as the literati class grappled with its own increasing marginalization, its fiction reassessed the assumption that intellectuals’ proper role was to serve state interests and began to imagine possibilities for a new political order.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

In imperial China, intellectuals devoted years of their lives to passing rigorous examinations in order to obtain a civil service position in the state bureaucracy. This traditional employment of the literati class conferred social power and moral legitimacy, but changing social and political circumstances in the Ming (1368–1644) and Qing (1644–1911) periods forced many to seek alternative careers. Politically engaged but excluded from their traditional bureaucratic roles, creative writers authored critiques of state power in the form of fiction written in the vernacular language.

In this study, Liangyan Ge examines the novels Romance of the Three Kingdoms, The Scholars, Dream of the Red Chamber (also known as Story of the Stone), and a number of erotic pieces, showing that as the literati class grappled with its own increasing marginalization, its fiction reassessed the assumption that intellectuals’ proper role was to serve state interests and began to imagine possibilities for a new political order.

More books from University of Washington Press

Cover of the book Seismic City by Liangyan Ge
Cover of the book Displaying Time by Liangyan Ge
Cover of the book The Holding Hours by Liangyan Ge
Cover of the book The Reluctant Dragon by Liangyan Ge
Cover of the book A Best-Selling Hebrew Book of the Modern Era by Liangyan Ge
Cover of the book Wild Civility by Liangyan Ge
Cover of the book Eat Everything Before You Die by Liangyan Ge
Cover of the book Cultural Encounters on China’s Ethnic Frontiers by Liangyan Ge
Cover of the book Ipse Dixit by Liangyan Ge
Cover of the book Purple Flat Top by Liangyan Ge
Cover of the book Dreaming of Sheep in Navajo Country by Liangyan Ge
Cover of the book Quagmire by Liangyan Ge
Cover of the book The World of a Tiny Insect by Liangyan Ge
Cover of the book The Nature of California by Liangyan Ge
Cover of the book The Dance of Legislation by Liangyan Ge
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy