| Summary: | 碩士 === 國立中央大學 === 中國文學系碩士在職專班 === 94 === Summary
The thesis examines the imagines, meaning, context, and phenomenon of cannibalism in Chinese traditional and modern literature. Shakespeare (1564-1616) said : ”Appetite, a universal wolf.” Wolves are omnivorous, eating anything and everything, including their own, with no fear of other, larger animals. Wolves are ferocious, as is their appetite. Humans, never inferior to wolves, are known to eat other humans for reasons of power, revenge, or simple survival.
World history has a long record of humans’ eating and being eaten. The cannibal metaphor in Chinese literature has its own developing track. This thesis tries to highlight characters, describe the societal background, illuminate hidden phenomena, and explain the killing motive by researching cannibalism in Chinese literature.
The primary focus has been on novels, with secondary examinations of poetry as well as historical compilations.
Eight chapters are presented:
I. Introduction. A general survey of the cannibal attitude, thought, and customs in Chinese culture.
II. Medical explanations for cannibalistic behavior.
III. Eating people to satisfy hunger. Five different situations are examined, including war, natural disaster, anatomical examination, cannibal gormandize, and lunacy.
IV. Savage cannibalism. There are four topics: revenge, establishing a credible threat, as a future warning, and to show faith to leaders.
V. Metaphorical cannibalism. There are two types: parables of bureaucrats, and symbolized cannibal stories for educating kids.
VI. Cultural anthropology cannibalism. The literature of eating dead relatives and the attitude and behaviors of cannibalistic act.
VII. Applications of Cultural Linguistics in cannibalism. How language has been transformed and threatened.
VIII. Conclusion.
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