Historical Sense: the Reference Framework of Classic Chinese Narrative Art

Historical sense (including real historical idea and historical narrative modes) is an important reference framework to understand the reason why classic Chinese narrative art failed to develop as expected (compared with poetry). Historical sense has dual influences on the fate of classic Chinese novels. It inhibited the early narrative forms —— mythology and epic, and restricted the fictional sense of the novels in later period. Even so, it provided the classic novels with basic narrative materials and modes.