The Narrative Artistry of Broken Bridge in Wuxi Opera: A Pathway to Aesthetic Education
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
Background and Aim: The Broken Bridge segment of The Legend of the White Snake in Wuxi Opera exemplifies the artistic depth of traditional Chinese opera through its structured narrative and dramatic intensity. As a vital cultural heritage and a pedagogical resource, it holds significant potential for integration into university aesthetic education. However, most of the research that has been done on it so far has focused on its performance style and cultural value, not on its story structure or dramatic conflict. Furthermore, its applicability in higher education remains insufficiently explored.
Materials and Methods: A mixed-methods approach was employed in this study, incorporating a literature review, script analysis of the opera, and expert interviews. Narratological frameworks and opera education studies establish the theoretical foundation. Textual analysis of the script, lyrics, and performance techniques identifies key narrative and conflict structures. Expert interviews with opera scholars and aesthetic education researchers further evaluate its pedagogical feasibility.
Results: Findings reveal that Wuxi Opera Broken Bridge uses traditional narrative, symbolic characters, and expressive techniques to enhance emotional depth and convey universal human experiences through a Chinese aesthetic lens. Experts reaffirm its educational value in fostering emotional connections, deepening appreciation for traditional opera, and stimulating interest in Chinese theatrical arts. They also suggest the use of digital tools and interactive strategies to ensure the continuity of the heritage and optimize the teaching process.
Conclusion: Integrating The Broken Bridge from Wuxi opera into aesthetic education enriches students' cultural understanding and emotional engagement, bridging traditional and contemporary educational practices. Through a combination of traditional performance techniques and modern technological tools, this approach enhances students’ critical thinking and emotional literacy. The study emphasizes the importance of preserving cultural heritage while adapting to innovative teaching methods, ensuring that Chinese opera remains relevant and impactful in today's educational landscape.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Copyright on any article in the International Journal of Sociologies and Anthropologies Science Reviews is retained by the author(s) under the under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Permission to use text, content, images, etc. of publication. Any user to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of articles, crawl them for indexing, pass them as data to software, or use them for any other lawful purpose. But do not use it for commercial use or with the intent to benefit any business.
References
Adullah, S. M. (2023). The art of monologue is published in The Short Novel of Mullazm Tahsin and Other Things by Farhad Pirbal. Journal of Language Studies, 7(3), 83–114.
Chen, B. (2017). A discussion on the artistic characteristics and role types of Wuxi Opera. Popular Literature and Art, 18, 138–139.
Chun, T. L.-M. (2019). The Legend of the White Snake across media. Theatre Journal, 71(3), E-55–E-59.
Ding, W. (2024). Digital reproduction of Wuxi Opera costumes based on generative artificial intelligence. Western Leather, 46(22), 148–150. https://doi.org/10.20143/j.1671-1602.2024.22.148
Ding, W., & Wu, Z. (2024). Regular inquiry: The application of school motto culture in the children's picture book creation course for preschool education majors. New Aesthetic Realm, 9, 121–123.
Letwin, D. (2008). The architecture of drama: Plot, character, theme, genre, and style. Scarecrow Press.
Li, L. (2019). A butterfly by the lake—Wuxi Grand Theater. In X. Zhang (Ed.), Grand theater urbanism: Chinese cities in the 21st century (pp. 179–207). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-6957-2_9
Mukhlas, M., Asyari, A. K., Hidayah, N., Kirom, S. M., & Pratama, R. (2023). An analysis of the main character conflict of the Roommate movie script by Sonny Malhi. TLEMC (Teaching and Learning English in Multicultural Contexts), 7(2), 108–117.
Nicholson, L. (1994). Interpreting gender. Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society, 20(1), 79–105.
Plaks, A. H. (1977). Towards a critical theory of Chinese narrative. In A. H. Plaks (Ed.), Chinese narrative: Critical and theoretical essays (pp. 309–352). Princeton University Press.
Prince, G. (2019). Narratology. In Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Literature. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190201098.013.1025
Shen, Y. (2023). An analysis of the current development and future of Wuxi Opera. Artist, 8, 121–123.
Verdi, G., & Wagner, R. (1989). Analyzing opera: Verdi and Wagner (Vol. 6). University of California Press.
Wang, C. Y. (2020). Chinese folklore for modern times: Three feminist re-visions of The Legend of the White Snake. Asian Studies Review, 44(2), 183–200.
Ye, M., Maneewattana, C., & Liu, L. (2024). The performance techniques of the "Major Aria" in Chinese tragic opera. Journal of Roi Kaensarn Academi, 9(10), 770–783.
