Things can evolve throughout history, and Chinese literature is no different. Among the plethora of works examined in class, I saw a flow of evolution, the emergence of various characteristics and themes that build on previous works. The work of each historical period added something new but resembled the works of the past in different ways. While this is certainly evident in classics such as The Romance of the Three Kingdoms and The Story of the Stone or The Dream of the Red Chamber, widely considered to be the pinnacle of Chinese literature, I will examine other works that nevertheless reflect this development of Chinese literature. , including some shorter, lesser-known works. Specifically, I will be looking at “The Great Maudgalyayana Saves His Mother from Hell,” Palace of Eternal Life, Water Margin, and “A Fool for Books.” I will analyze the themes of cultural references, social and cultural criticism, and the overall liberalization of social attitudes. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay "The Great Maudgalyayana Saves His Mother from Hell" can be seen as an extension of the Tang Dynasty Chuanqi stories, tales, and legends involving magical or supernatural events. Here we see the journey theme again, where a person embarks on an epic and meandering journey in search of spiritual enlightenment, usually within or interacting with the supernatural realm. The theme of the trip is religious in nature, but this is also a more personal journey of enlightenment. In the past, someone like Qu Yuan interacted with the spiritual realm, only to have his hopes dashed. The spiritual was seen as something idealistic and even unattainable. On the other hand, Mu-Lien was able to seek out the Buddha and even visit the underworld himself to carry out his mission, as well as interact with more worldly figures in his mission to redeem his mother, such as gathering other monks to pray over his life. on behalf. This reflects the more universal nature of Buddhism and Nirvana, which cuts across all classes and statuses. Indeed, many Confucians viewed Buddhism with suspicion precisely because they believed it undermined the Confucian order and hierarchy. His mission is much more singular and selfish than, for example, the desire to interact with the divine or to find a worthy master to serve. Unlike the other Buddhist works here, the element of filial piety is prominent in this Buddhist work, demonstrating the degree of cultural mixing during this period and perhaps Buddhists' attempts to engage the rest of Chinese society and culture. Mu lien's mother, due to the abuse of her trust, "immediately fell into Avicii's Hell"... after his death" and could only be saved through the collective efforts of monks from all directions, under conditions very specific (Eoyang 1978, 444). Nowadays, the influence of this story is felt in the Chinese Ghost Festival, where people offer food and drink to the deceased, among other activities they moved towards social criticism, often focusing on previously unassailable institutions such as government or Confucianism. This was first popularized during the Song and Yuan periods through stories such as Outlaws of The Marsh Here, the government was portrayed negatively, which ironically it needed of assisting previously marginalized and chaotic misfits and criminals to restore order by fulfilling epic quests, defeating enemies on their journeys. These men were usually drunk and caused chaos, but were still held up as examples of loyalty and other qualities . On the otheraside, government officials like Marshal Hong, who ignored the monks' advice and were released demons, are incompetent and disdainful of the people they supposedly serve. Sagacious Lu, a well-known character who sought redemption by becoming a monk in a monastery, is an example of the Buddhist influence on this work. We also saw these aspects more prominently in works like Xi You Ji which contained references to Buddhism and epic quests, but also helped popularize the antihero. Sun Wukong is the most famous, but he is also undisciplined and gets into the biggest trouble with the gods. A very obvious example was Wukong being scolded for being a reluctant student, with the Buddhist patriarch stating, "What a mischievous monkey you are! You won't learn this and you won't learn that! What are you waiting for?" for? (Wu 2006, 22)" At the same time, he appears to be the most skilled of heroes in his abilities and is seen performing good deeds such as chasing away demons. In the Palace of Eternal Life, popularized during the Qing, it is stated that "the pleasures sensualities of female voyeurism innocently echo the more destructive envy that fuels An Lu-shan's ambitions" (Owen 1996, 1028). This work focuses on how Tang Xuanzong's obsession with Guifei led the country down a path of decadence and turmoil. However, it also embodies the loosening of social attitudes in literary works, such as towards the theme of sex. In the explicit bathroom scene, the main theme is obviously envy for their past and their inability to earn the emperor's frustration as they prepared for the arrival of the royal couple, mirroring An Lu-Shan's fall from grace and his envy-driven rise since then. for the throne. The maids also explicitly illustrated Lady Yang's form, including "paired buds peeking out" and red bandages "barely revealing her private parts" as the emperor gives in to her lust, kissing her incessantly and holding her tightly in his arms ( Owen 1996, 1030). Like the repetition of lines, the minor characters repeat and amplify the messages and themes presented by the relatively minimalist lines of the main characters in this scene. In this way, the minor characters' lines serve as a more subtle narrator. Finally, the focus on sex while the turmoil rages emphasizes the emperor's detachment from his country and his duties. Pu Songling's story in A Fool for Books, from the Qing Dynasty, combined many aspects we had seen in previous Chinese literature. First, it's part of a collection of stories, not unlike Outlaws of the Marsh, and Lang's interaction with Like-Jade from the books definitely connects it to Zhiguai's stories. There is also a satirical element in which sacred cows, such as the traditional scholar and sex in this case, are treated lightly. The section in which Like-Jade educates Lang about sex was full of irreverent innuendo (Pu 1989, 394-395). Traditionally, people are told that they must study ancient works and become a Confucian scholar-official to be successful. This work satirizes that tradition. He doesn't despise hard work, as Lang had a relatively happy ending when he became official, got his revenge, and retired peacefully with the concubine, but his depiction of Lang's embarrassment and obsession with his studies certainly makes people question the traditional lens. of “pass the exam or fail” where people would give up other opportunities to pursue what society says they should do. Overall, I think both.