書判體公案小說《廉明公案》文學敘事研究

Abstract

本文聚焦於書判體公案小說《廉明公案》，旨在探討其如何由法律案判過渡為具有敘事藝術性的故事文本，進而發揮文學中介功能與審美價值。作為明代書坊主余象斗編撰的作品，《廉明公案》融合法律文書與小說敘事，不僅繼承法家書與文學傳統，更開創後來公案小說發展的書判模式。本文從三方面切入：首先從發展背景出發，關注公案小說型態的變化，其間如何形成公案小說特徵；其次透過敘事結構與內容分析，揭示作品如何運用非文學素材進行轉化和改寫；最後，探討小說中的人物敘寫，特別是審案官員、告狀者與被告等角色，如何影響讀者對角色的認知與文本主題的理解。本文認為，《廉明公案》是一部具備審美價值的過渡性文本，在敘事上展現出從法家書走向文學表述的轉變歷程。

This study focuses on the Lianming Gong’an, a novel written in Judicial-Style, exploring how it transitions from legal case rulings to narrative-driven literary texts that fulfill intermediary and aesthetic functions. Lianming Gong’an is compiled by the Ming dynasty publisher Yu Xiang-Dou, and it merges the characteristics of legal documentation and fictional storytelling. It not only inherits traditions from legal literature and classical narrative but also pioneers a new model for the development of later Gong’an fiction. This study approaches the text from three perspectives: first, it examines the work’s historical context , focusing on the transformation of Gong’an fiction as a genre ; second, it analyzes narrative structures and content to reveal how non-literary materials are transformed and rewritten into literary forms; and third, it investigates character representations—especially judges, plaintiffs, and defendants—to understand how these figures influence readers’ perception and the thematic construction of the text. This study argues that Lianming Gong’an is a transitional work of aesthetic significance, exemplifying the narrative evolution from utilitarian legal writing to literary expression.