Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatter i
2. Contents vii
3. Illustrations viii
4. Acknowledgements x
5. Abbreviations xii
6. Prologue 1
7. 1. Ruan Dacheng in Context 4
8. 2. ‘Inborn Abilities Burst Forth’: The Early Life of Ruan Dacheng 45
9. 3. ‘Walking on Thin Ice’: The Later Life of Ruan Dacheng 65
10. 4. ‘Out of the Profundity of His Heart’: Life into Literature 105
11. 5. ‘Expressing Himself in a Distinctive Way’: Identity and Authenticity 136
12. 6. ‘Allowing the Business of Seclusion to Be My Friend’: Engagement and Reclusion 193
13. 7. ‘Outside the Walls’: The Exotic and the Marginal 220
14. Conclusion 248
15. Appendix 1: Proclamation of Nanjing 255
16. Appendix 2: Synopses of Surviving Plays 261
17. Appendix 3: List of Important Individuals 271
18. Bibliography 275
19. Index 288