French Narrative Theory and the Boom of Chinese Narrative Studies

Abstract

The 1980s, an era in the wake of opening-up policy after the cultural revolution, witnessed an unprecedented passion for Chinese critics to read, embrace and import Western theories, among which French narrative theory deserves a particular mention. To a large extent, it is French narrative theory that has led to the upsurge and explosion of Chinese narrative studies, which prevails in the 21^st century. This paper, first of all, connects the boom of Chinese narrative studies with French narrative theory which was translated and warmly received in Chinese academia in the 1980s. Second, it attempts to examine the travelling, the impact and the after-life of French narrative theory in China, arguing that inspired by their French predecessors, Chinese narrative theorists have cultivated their increasing interest in the narrative form of literary works and developed Chinese narratology with special reference to Chinese narrative traditions. Third, it investigates how Chinese narratologists foster theoretical dialogues with their French colleagues by challenging and revising some narratological concepts. Finally, it calls for a narratology beyond French structuralism by proposing comparative and transcultural perspectives on narrative studies with the aim to draw scholarly attention to those neglected and peripheral narratives and to subvert the hegemony of Anglo-American narrative theory.

Keywords:

• French structuralism
• Chinese narratology
• Chinese narrative
• comparative perspective

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This paper is sponsored by National Social Science Fund of China (17ZDA281).

Notes on contributors

Biwu Shang

Biwu Shang is Professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. His research interests include contemporary fiction, narratology and ethical literary criticism. He is the author of In Pursuit of Narrative Dynamics (2011), Contemporary Western Narratology: Postclassical Perspectives (2013), Unnatural Narrative across Borders (2019), and Ian McEwan (2023). His work has appeared in Comparative Literature Studies, Critique, Partial Answers, Neohelicon, Journal of Literary Semantics, Semiotica and Arcadia among other journals.