From Prefaces and Postscripts to the Stage:Gaps and Tensions in Cao Yu's Dramatic Creation
YANG Jing
HUANG Ying
Abstract：Drawing on Gérard Genette's paratext theory,this study examines the declarative discourse in Thunderstorm Preface and Sunrise Postscript,contrasting it with their realization in stage practices to reveal profound gaps and tensions in Cao Yu's dramatic creation-between ideal and reality,poetic pursuits and social contexts.Core themes emphasized in these paratexts,such as"the mysterious forces of the universe"and"taking from the poor to serve the rich,"encounter constraints from realist principles and ideological integration when translated into stage works,generating significant textual gaps.These gaps not only reflect Cao Yu's self-awakening as an artist but also serve as a historical microcosm of the multiple discursive conflicts and fusions that Chinese modern drama faced during its transitional period.
Keywords：prefaces and postscriptsstageCao YugapstensionsThunderstorm PrefaceSunrise Postscript
Publication Date：2025-05-20
Online Publishing Date：2025-08-15(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：4( 110-113 )