《續金瓶梅》的歷史觀照與人倫籲求－以吳月娘母子離散敘事為考察中心

This article argues that through the separation of Wu Yueniang 吳月娘 and her son Xiaoge 孝哥, Ding Yaokang 丁耀亢, the author of the Xu jin ping mei 續金瓶梅, offers readers a way of looking at family continuation from a historical perspective. Set during the war between the Song 宋 and Jin 金, Ding creates an allegory of family and nation in an effort to emphasize the search for correct governance. Based on the historical characteristics of the book, I advance two important arguments. First, I assert that Ding Yaokang expresses his idea of uniting the family and saving the nation through the separation and reunion of Wu Yueniang and Xiaoge. Second, I argue that Ding attempts to focus the readers' attention on ethical concerns via their reunification. With these two arguments, I hope to explain Ding's motivations for writing the Xu jin ping mei.