Yiqun Xie

The epic as a literary form has existed since ancient times and has continuously evolved throughout history. By examining the epic qualities of Dream of the Red Chamber and One Hundred Years of Solitude, this article explores how modern and postmodern epics differ from classical epics. It argues that the essence of the epic lies in the representation of a nation’s cultural psychology and spiritual temperament, regardless of whether it depicts everyday life, heroic characters, or realistic narratives. A nation's epic often carries the expectation of national revival. Re-examining epic writing across different historical periods helps deepen our understanding of how to create literary epics with national characteristics, offering significant inspiration for contemporary literature.

Literary epic; Dream of the Red Chamber; One Hundred Years of Solitude; Modern significance

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