Fourth Sister Hu
"Fourth Sister Hu" | |||
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Short story by Pu Songling | |||
Original title | |||
Country | China | ||
Language | Chinese | ||
Genre(s) | |||
Publication | |||
Published in | Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio | ||
Publication date | 1740 | ||
Chronology | |||
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"Fourth Sister Hu" (Chinese:
Plot
[edit]One night, a Taishan-based scholar surnamed Shang is greeted in his study by a maiden who introduces herself as Third Sister Hu (
Afterwards, an exorcist from Shanxi arrives at Shang's residence, intent on exacting revenge on the fox spirits who allegedly caused the death of his younger brother. He imprisons the Hu sisters in bottles sealed with pig bladder, but Shang manages to rescue Fourth Sister Hu; some time later, she becomes an immortal and repays Shang's kindness by informing him of his death date. In his postscript, Pu writes that Shang was a relative of his friend Li Wanyu (
Publication history
[edit]Originally titled "Hu sijie" (
Literary analysis
[edit]According to Allan Barr, Pu "experiments more extensively with the rivalry motif" and "probes creatively the theme of romantic competition" in "Fourth Sister Hu" by having multiple romantic interests compete for the protagonist's affection. However, "the scope for interplay is limited" owing to Third Sister's "malevolent propensities (that) forfeit our sympathy for her ... and disqualify her for Shang's love."[3]
Reception
[edit]Eighteenth-century editor Wang Jinfan (
References
[edit]Citations
[edit]- ^ Barr 1985, p. 163.
- ^ Sondergard 2008, p. 277.
- ^ Barr 1985, p. 184.
- ^ Zeitlin 1997, p. 34.
- ^ Zeitlin 1997, p. 231.
- ^ Hammond 2006, p. 218.
Bibliography
[edit]- Barr, Allan (June 1985). "A Comparative Study of Early and Late Tales in Liaozhai zhiyi". Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies. 45 (1): 157–202.
- Hammond, Charles E. (2006). "Factual Framing in "Liao Zhai Zhi Yi"". Acta Orientalia Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae. 59 (2): 205–230.
- Sondergard, Sidney (2008). Strange Tales from Liaozhai. Vol. 1. Fremont, Calif.: Jain Publishing Company. ISBN 9780895810496.
- Zeitlin, Judith T. (1997). Historian of the Strange: Pu Songling and the Chinese Classical Tale. Palo Alto: Stanford University Press. ISBN 9780804729680.