What are some ancient Chinese satirical novels?

1. Fan Jin passed the imperial examination

The story tells that Fan Jin, a poor boy in ancient Guangdong, began to take the scholar examination at the age of 20, and his ideal was to pass the imperial examination. It wasn't until he was 34 that he won the title of Scholar. His father-in-law, Tutu Hu, was a man who liked to be popular, hated the poor and loved the rich. He was very dissatisfied with his son-in-law. He was arrogant, rude and violent in front of Fan Jin, but Fan Jin only kept talking and being humble. Finally, Fan Jin won the imperial examination the following year. He was so happy that he went crazy. Later, he was slapped awake by his father-in-law, Hu Buthu. The people around Fan Jin were all villains, so he got promoted and made a fortune because of his success.

2. Kuang Chaoren

Kuang Chaoren, formerly known as Kuang Jiong and nicknamed Chaoren, was born in Yueqing County, Wenzhou Prefecture. The novel can be roughly divided into two types in the description of Kuang Superman's behavior. One is Kuang Superman, who shows simplicity and filial piety, and the other is Kuang Superman, who shows annihilation of human nature. He was originally a simple rural boy, well-behaved and hard-working. His filial piety towards his father was also touching. The novel's initial description of Kuang Superman's behavior showed his simple and filial side.

While living in a foreign country, he gradually changed under the influence of society. In Hangzhou, Kuang Chaoren met Mr. Ma Er and was influenced by Mr. Ma Er. He regarded the imperial examination as the only way out in life. After being admitted as a scholar, he was "trained" by a group of fighting celebrities and regarded himself as a celebrity as a pursuit. A means to pursue fame and fortune.

Society gave him such a path, and he cleverly navigated it, leading to degeneration step by step. He brags and lies, seeks fame, betrays his friends for glory, is ungrateful, and turns into a beast in disguise.

3. Young Wang Mian

In the late Yuan Dynasty, there was a young man named Wang Mian in a village in Zhuji County. Because his family was poor, he had been herding cattle for others since he was a child. He was smart, enlightened, and diligent. Eager to learn, the lotuses he painted were lifelike and vivid, and he was well-read and talented.

He is unwilling to make friends, let alone seek fame and fortune. When the county magistrate came to visit him, he avoided seeing him; when Zhu Yuanzhang offered him the position of "consulting to join the army," he did not accept it and willingly fled to the Kuaiji Mountains to live an anonymous life.

4. Zhou Jin passed the imperial examination:

Zhou Jin was originally a teacher and was very enthusiastic about the imperial examination. Unfortunately, in his sixtieth year, he did not even pass the examination as a scholar. One time, he and his brother-in-law came to Gongyuan, the examination center where subjects were held to obtain scholars in the provincial capital. They were so moved and heartbroken that they bumped into a wooden board and fainted.

When he woke up, he cried loudly and rolled on the floor. This scene was seen by several businessmen. Out of compassion, they donated a prisoner to the poor old man. Zhou Jin was overjoyed and kowtowed to them to thank them. Later, through his status as a supervisor, he actually won the imperial examination.

Extended information:

1. Appreciation of the work

1. Theme of the work

"The Scholars" is a spicy novel A satirical novel that critically exposes the current social situation and the destiny of Confucian scholars. The novel vividly depicts the current state of decay in spiritual morality and cultural education of the intellectual class under the imperial examination system. It reveals the scholars' concepts of fame and fortune, the bureaucracy, human relations and the entire social atmosphere through various aspects of life.

The author starts by exposing the imperial examination system and the ugly souls of the scholars enslaved by this system, and then satirizes the incompetence of feudal officials, the greed and meanness of the landlords and gentry, the hypocrisy and despicability of the arty celebrities, and the The decay of the entire feudal ethical system and the distortion of the people's souls.

Wu Jingzi’s satire obviously dealt a powerful blow to feudal society and vented the complaints of most sympathetic readers about the despicability of human nature and the darkness of society. ?

2. Artistic characteristics

"The Scholars" is a work that combines short art and long art. Although it is generally classified as a novel, its structure is very different from what people usually call a novel.

There is no main character or story frame throughout the novel, but a series of relatively independent stories; after the previous story is told, some new characters are introduced, and these new characters become The main character in the latter story.

Some characters appear on stage and perform well, then no longer appear, and some characters appear again, but basically they just accompany the village.

But the whole book is not just a collection of short stories. It takes the Ming Dynasty as the background and exposes the spiritual decadence of scholars under the feudal autocracy and the various social ills related to it. It has a very clear central theme, as well as The entire novel has a roughly clear timeline and a unified plot thread:

The first chapter uses Wang Mian’s story to illustrate the main theme of the book; Chapters 2 to 32 are about various places and types of Confucianism. Lin character; after the 33rd chapter, as Du Shaoqing moved from Tianchang to Nanjing, the center of the book shifted to the activities of Nanjing Shilin, with the sacrifice of Taibo Temple as the main event; and finally concluded with "Four Wonderful People in the Market" The whole book echoes the first chapter.

3. The art of satire

"The Scholars" uses discordant people and things to make tactful yet sharp satire. The salt merchants of Wuhe County sent the old lady to the festival filial piety temple, with lanterns and colorful decorations and drums and music playing loudly. The street was full of officials playing cards, and the hall was full of magistrates, teachers and other officials setting up sacrifices, which was solemn and solemn.

But the salt merchant Fang Laoliu and a flower seller were leaning on the railing to watch the deacon. "Quan Yapo held the railing with one hand and opened the waistband of his trousers with the other to catch lice. After catching them, he put them into his mouth one by one. ". Combining sublimity and solemnity with comedy and frivolity, turning sublimity and solemnity into ridiculousness.

Reference: Baidu Encyclopedia - "The Scholars"