EALC 275: Masterpieces of East Asian Literature Lecture #22: Yingying Returns: Story of the Western Wing 1 Nov. 6, 2013The Story of the Western Wing 1 • The Story of the Western Wing was written by Wang Shifu (ca.1250-1300) as a zaju, or, more correctly, a cycle of five zaju plays. Zaju, or comedy, was the dramatic genre that dominated the stage in northern China from the middle of the thirteenth century until well into the fifteenth century during the Yuan dynasty (1206-1368). • Zaju is a four-act dramatic form in which songs alternate with dialogue. • In zaju, singing was restricted to a single character in each play and each act had a single and distinct rhyme and musical mode. • The Story of the Western Wing was much longer than a typical zaju and was actually five plays put together (five volumes in printed form).The Story of the Western Wing 2 • During the Yuan dynasty, The Story of the Western Wing quickly achieved great success, apparently in large measure because of its stage popularity. • In later dynasties, the play continued to be popular in performances and as a closet-drama to be read as a script. From the final four or five decades of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) alone nearly forty different editions of Wang Shifu’s masterwork have been preserved, and from the succeeding Qing dynasty (1644-1911) another sixty or so editions are known.Four Key Character Types: Influenced Later Literature • The “Talent Scholar and Beauty” Romance • “Whether or not The Story of the Western Wing was fit reading for impressionable adolescents, performances of scenes from a later adaption of the play are presented before the collected household in other chapters of the novel. Actually, The Dream of the Red Chamber itself might never have been written if The Story of the Western Wing had not already established in vernacular literature the images of the talented scholar, the beautiful maiden, the stern parent, and the witty girl servant.” (p.4) • Translators: Stephen West and Wilt Idema • Tracking key character personality traits, images, and themesBackground Story 1 • Oriole (Yingying) and her mother took refuge in a Buddhist Temple during a bandit rebellion. • The mother promised Oriole’s hand in marriage to whomever could save them. Zhang saves the day by writing a letter to a friend, the White Horse General. • She withdraws the deal later and asks that the two consider each other “brother and sister.” • Whereas in “Ying-ying’s Story” (Tang dynasty) the main problem in the romantic tale was Zhang’s abandonment of Ying-ying, in the play “Story of the Western Chamber” (Yuan dynasty) the tension shifts to the mother and other obstacles that prevent the lovers’ union.Background Story 2 • “Oriole and Junrui • Were promised to be man and wife. • The madam has broken her promise • And come up with all kinds of pretexts • To destroy the bond of wedlock • And turn them into brother and sister. • Now any change of marriage is completely removed: • He has deranged the brocade and embroidery in his breast. • She has drenched with tears the rouge on her face.” • (3.1, p.184)Volume 3: Matching-making • --Play #3 (Volume 3) focuses largely on Crimson as she shuttles back and forth between Zhang Gong and Oriole. -- She both delivers messages (letters and poems) and spurs them forward, and criticizes them for their lack of bravery or inconstancy with her sharp tongue.Volume 3.1: Crimson Spurs Zhang • Zhang Gong is suffering from “love sickness” due to his longing for Oriole. • “Love sickness” was a common device in romantic literature that conveyed sincerity of feeling. • Zhang writes a letter to Oriole and gives it to Crimson to deliver.Volume 3.1: Crimson Spurs Zhang • Oriole peeps on Student Zhang (p.185, left column). • She criticizes Student Zhang for offering her a reward (p.186, left column) • She agrees to carry Zhang’s letter, but also consuls him to focus on his studies in preparation for the official examination (p.187, right column)Volume 3.2: Crimson Criticizes Oriole • Oriole appears to be offended by Zhang’s letter • She verbally upbraids Crimson for bringing the letter • Crimson defends herself and criticizes Oriole’s inconstancy. • Oriole sends her own letter with a secret poem included.Volume 3.2: Crimson Criticizes Oriole • Oriole: “You little hussy! Where did you get this? I am the daughter of a chancellor. Who makes sport of me with such a note? I’m not in the habit of reading such stuff…” (p.190) • Crimson: “It is clear that you transgressed the rules; There’s no reason to savage me. You used someone else but, doing a flip-flop, are now the one offended– If you aren’t in the habit, then who is?”Volume 3.3-3.4: Rendezvous Interrupted • Zhang, believing himself to be a “member of the Society for Solving Riddles” misinterprets the meaning of Oriole’s poem. (p.193) • Crimson encourages Zhang to “climb over the wall.” (p.194) • The first attempted tryst fails as Oriole berates Zhang’s behavior. • This back-and-forth narrative helps build dramatic tension…Volume 3.3-3.4: Rendezvous Interrupted • Oriole: “Student Zhang– what kind of person are you? Here I am burning incense, and you come without any reason. If the madam should hear of this, what kind of explanation could you give?” (p.199, left column) • Crimson: “If we do that, it will damage his reputation. Let’s you and me interrogate him this time. Student Zhang, come forward. Kneel down! You have studied the books of the sage Confucius; you should be familiar with the principles of the Duke of Zhou. What concerns brought you here in the dead of night?” (p.199, right column)Volume 4: Rendezvous Accomplished • Consummation (4.1) --The second meeting brings the couple together. --Rain and Clouds: a poetic expression for sexual intercourse -- other references to sex through nature metaphors: “And lightly splits the flower’s heart, dew drips, the peony opens.” -- Somewhat oblique but very detailed, especially compared to “Yingying’s story.” -- Prominent use of Yin imagery: water, the moon, women= all traditionally considered Yin 阴categoriesQuestions for this section: • So far, to what extent are the pattern of events in the drama “Story of the Western Chamber” the same as that in “Yingying’s Story”?: • --