The Evolution of Narrative Ethics in Modern Chinese Novels and the Expression of the Spirit of the Times——A Case Study of Classic Texts from the May Fourth Movement to the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression
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Abstract
Guided by the research question of how narrative ethics evolved in modern Chinese novels from the May Fourth Movement to the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, this paper investigates the transformation of ethical structures in classic literary texts. Through close reading and quantitative analysis, the study examines the moral stance of narrative subjects, the presentation of ethical conflicts, the expression paths of value judgments, and moral orientations across different historical periods. The findings show that the narrative ethics of modern Chinese novels experienced a core shift from individual liberation ethics to group national salvation ethics. Significant changes occurred in narrative subject stance, ethical conflict types, and value-judgment expression. This evolution is not only a literary response to historical themes such as May Fourth enlightenment and wartime national salvation, but also reflects the reconstruction of ethical concepts in modern Chinese society. Future research may expand the corpus and integrate interdisciplinary theories to further deepen the study of narrative ethics and the spirit of the times in modern Chinese literature.
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