A Special Type of Men of Letters in Late Ming Dynasty and Early Qing Dynasty Period——On Li Yu's Mentality and Its Influence on His Literary Creation

Influenced by the pursuit of individual freedom in late Ming dynasty period and the hedonism prevailed since Song and Yuan dynasties,Li formed a state of mind valuing idleness and pleasure-seeking.On the one hand,he advocated emotional emancipation and affirmed men's natural desires,preaching to live an extravagant life.On the other hand,as a man of letters in feudal times,Li believed in the moralizing and educating functions of literature,and devoted himself to the creation of operas and novels.Thus Li formed a dual personality touched with both depravity and nobility,which greatly influenced his literary creation.His works are mixed with moralization and enjoyment in the form of parodies and ironies,appealing to both refined and popular taste.All these are closely related to his mentality.