Re-Orienting Jin Ping Mei

Between 1621 and 1661, fiction authors turned to the
common people and the contemporary world for their
subject matter and infused a stronger moral message
into their writings. Two novels that best illustrate
such a tendency are Xingshi yinyuan zhuan by Xizhou
sheng (ca. 1661) and Xu jin ping mei by Ding Yaokang
(ca. 1660). This book explores Jin Ping Mei s
influences on the two works in question and reveals
the ways the authors manipulated familiar themes and
rhetorical devices to reverse the Jin ping mei
prototype. It also discusses the didactic function
of fiction and the authors campaign to save the
world through the power of fiction. Through
examining the commentaries and their historical
context, the authors effort to improve and
enlighten their readers are demonstrated and the
result evaluated. Their sense of moral mission
inspired them to emphasize the fin-de-siècle
settings, social irregularities and to rationalize
political and social turmoil through karmic
retribution. To attain this purpose, widely
disseminated reading materials are blended into
their novels to reach out to non-elite readers.