Concluding Remarks
The Ritual Aspect of Chinese Traditional Operas in South China
My Research Supervisor (Professor Daniel Overmyer) has urged me to keep pushing this
dissertation to the very end which is what he does with his books. Conclusions to a scholarly
work are always tentative. Their intent is not only to sum up one body of work but also to
suggest ways in which it can be futher developed. Thus, based on the three case studies
(Cantonese opera, and marionette theatre in both southwestern and central western Fujian) state
in previous chapters, I put forward three arguments, which are at the same time the conclusion of
this thesis. Besides the three case studies mentioned above, I also discuss the situations of
different kinds of regional opera in the south for the purpose of broadening the perspective of
this present study and laying the foundation of my futher work.
These arguments are as follows:
6.1. In south China religion and opera are closely associated with each other. Religious
activities are often accompanied by opera or puppet performances.
6.2. No single form of China traditional opera can be classified in terms of "either-or" categories.
The Literary-Ritual Continuum (Model) is applied to discuss the ritual elements of Chinese