CC BY-NC
0Litera
Reference:
CHEN K. Images of Traditional Chinese Medicine Doctors in Chinese Literature // Litera. 2024. № 3. DOI: 10.25136/24098698.2024.3.70166 EDN: HQFTYE URL: https//erLnbpublish.com/Hbrary_read_artide.php?id=70166
Images of Traditional Chinese Medicine Doctors in Chinese Literature
ORCID: 0009-0004-6334-8351 Phd of the Department of Foreign Languages, Faculty of Philology, RUDN 119361, Russia, IVbscow, Mklukho-Maklaya str., 10-2a
El kuo.chen@mail.ru
Article was published in rubric "Archetype"
DOI:
10.25136/2409-8698.2024.3.70166
EDN:
HQFTYE
Received:
19-03-2024
Abstract: Since ancient times, doctors have usually played the image of rescuers who save lives. As a symbol-rich image, "doctor" often enters the scope of writers' creativity and becomes a typical creative theme. This paper explores the image of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) doctors in literature. The purpose of the study is to understand how TCM practitioners are portrayed and represented in literature, to analyze their social and cultural influence and their impact on people's perceptions and attitudes towards TCM. The relevance of this article is that it can help people to better understand the position and image of TCM in different historical periods and cultural environments, as well as its relationship with society, culture and people's lives. The subject of this paper is the image of TCM doctors in literary works of a certain period, region or cultural context such as ancient works, modern literary works and works of specific writers. By analyzing the images in different works, the diversity of such images of TCM physicians such as wise doctors and mysterious healers can be demonstrated. This paper uses methods of literary analysis, including close reading of the text, character analysis, plot and theme study. The text is also studied in the context of historical and cultural context to understand the views and attitudes of the society of the time towards TCM and doctors. The scientific novelty of
studying the image of traditional Chinese medicine in Chinese literature gives us an interdisciplinary perspective that integrates literature with medicine and cultural studies and offers new ways to deeply understand TCM culture and human perception of health. The results of the study indicate the diversity of TCM physicians' images in the literature. In addition, the findings may reflect different understandings and evaluations of TCM in different periods and cultural contexts.
Keywords:
Image, doctor, traditional Chinese medicine, classical Chinese literature, modern Chinese
literature, culture, cultural connotation, psycholinguistics, quack doctor, traditional Chinese
culture
References
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Peer Review
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In world literature, in Russian literature, the image of a doctor is quite common. The authors recreate both real portraits and fictional ones, often the prototypes are quite recognizable, they can be compared with real figures. The image of doctors in Chinese literature is also possible. Actually, this is the subject of the reviewed article. As the author notes, "being an important part of traditional Chinese culture, traditional Chinese medicine and the TCM doctor not only play an important role in the field of medicine, but also have a rich image in literature. With the change of time, social and cultural context, the images of "doctors" in different periods, in different social conditions and by different writers carry different themes and connotations of time. In the vast ocean of literature, the image of a TCM doctor is like a bright pearl emitting a unique light. With vivid brushstrokes and rich imagination, the authors painted a legendary picture of practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine, who are either wonderful healers with miraculous hands, or wise men with a deep understanding of how to maintain health." The image of a doctor is significant in Chinese culture, as a result, it also becomes an artistic form. The idea of doctors in China is quite high, they are respected, appreciated, and sometimes idolized: "The image of TCM doctors is like a mysterious scroll containing the wisdom of reconciling yin and yang. They use therapeutic methods: examination, listening, questioning and pulse palpation to understand the nature of diseases. And they also follow the concept of the unity of "heaven and humanity" to explore the true meaning of health. Such classical theories and methods of TCM as yin and yang, the five elements, meridians, qi and blood permeate the entire literature, giving these images a deeper connotation (correct!) and charm." I note that the subject area of the work correlates with one of the headings of the publication, the topic of the work is quite original, there is also scientific novelty in the author's thoughts, partly it lies in the systematization of data. The main material of the reviewed work is "works of Chinese literature from antiquity to the present, in which the doctor is the subject of creativity or the image of the doctor is depicted." The author specifies that "through the textual interpretation of typical works of each period, the character traits of the image of a doctor are interpreted. The evolution of the image of a doctor in Chinese literature and its cultural connotations are analyzed in the light of the specific era in which the writer created the work, the social and cultural background, as well as the subjective emotions of the writer." I note right away that in terms of language, stylistic terms, it is desirable to correct the text, inaccuracies must be eliminated (coordination, typos, etc.)! The material as a
whole has a conceptual appearance, it is well built, I think that the position of the researcher is objective. Judgments do not distort the substantive essence, "what is said" is fully perceived: "in classical Chinese literature, the image of a doctor of Chinese medicine is usually depicted as a highly qualified doctor with high medical skills and morality. These images may reflect aspects of the experience, treatment methods, and interaction of the TCM doctor with the patient," or "in the novel "Dream in the Red Chamber - ? ?" there are several images of doctors, including a detailed description of the diagnosis of diseases and the use of medicines by the imperial doctor, for example, an episode of the pulse examination by the imperial doctor for the Jia family, which demonstrates exquisite the doctor's medical skills and careful monitoring of the patient's condition, as well as his professionalism and skills. The novel also examines various images of TCM, including theories of TCM, prescriptions, medicines, diagnostic methods, etc., all of which correspond to the traditional Chinese way of reasoning. The image of TCM doctors in one of the four classic novels "River Backwaters - ???" is reflected mainly in the image of military doctors Liangshanpo (place). The doctors in the novel have high medical skills and treat the wounds and illnesses of many Liangshan characters, such as An Daoquan treats Song Jiang for gangrene of the back, which no doctor could cure..." etc. In my opinion, it is good that the author makes a certain cut, that is, highlights the images of doctors in both classical and modern Chinese literature. For example, "In modern Chinese literature, the image of TCM doctors has various characteristics. On the one hand, some authors are critical of TCM doctors and portray TCM doctors as quack doctors. For example, in the short story "Diary of a Madman" Lu Xun portrays Dr. He as an "executioner" who eats people. Dr. He in the story is a TCM doctor with traditional feudal beliefs. He did not worry about the condition of a madman and treated a madman according to generally accepted methods, not following the principles of TCM, which consist in "an individual approach to each person and scientifically based treatment." Instead, he believed that the madman had "gone mad" because he was possessed by a demon." The results of the work are summarized not formally, but taking into account the main part; this block contains the idea that "writers use various techniques in depicting images of TCM doctors in order to create a deeper impression of them among readers, for example, through detailed descriptions of the process of diagnosis and treatment, appearance, speech and behavior of TCM doctors, in order to readers could feel the professionalism and self-confidence of the TCM doctors. And through dialogues showing the interaction between doctors and their patients to give readers an understanding of the concepts and methods of treatment of TCM doctors." In my opinion, the idea expressed at the very end of the work about the prospect of further study of the topic, the creation of new works of a related orientation is productive: "In conclusion, it should be noted that the image of a Chinese medicine doctor in literature is a complex and multifaceted topic. These images not only reflect the authors' understanding and views on Chinese medicine, but also reflect people's ideas about health, life and human nature at different times and in different cultures. The presentation of images of TCM doctors in Chinese literature lays the foundation for further research on the relationship between TCM and neuropsycholinguistics in the future, and also provides us with an important perspective for understanding and transmitting TCM culture." The bibliographic sources are fully introduced into the text, the citations are correct. The style of work corresponds to the scientific type; the material is appropriate to use when studying Chinese literature. The basic requirements of the publication have been taken into account. I recommend the article "Images of doctors of traditional Chinese medicine in Chinese literature" for publication in the journal "Litera".
