From Thunderstorm to Under the Roofs of Shanghai: A Study of the Evolution of Bourgeois Characters in the 1920s and 1930s

Thunderstorm and Under the Roofs of Shanghai are works with profound influence in the history of Chinese drama. Among them, Thunderstorm takes the 1920s as the social background to start the plot. Under the Roofs of Shanghai narrates around the 1930s. The background of the two works is ten years apart, but its connotation is deeply reflected in the characters. The rich role setting not only makes the dramatic conflicts more exciting but also shows the social essence. This paper will examine the characteristics of the bourgeoisie characters in the two dramas and analyze the characteristics of the changing track of the characters and the reasons for the changes of the image characteristics of the “feudal class and bourgeoisie interleaved” and “petty bourgeois intellectuals”. Taking the bourgeois character image as the foothold and the change of the social background trend of thought as the lead, this paper demonstrates the changes of the new Chinese drama in shaping the character image. This paper uses text analysis, historical research, and other methods to gain a cross-sectional insight into the ups and downs of Chinese social thought in the 1920s and 1930s.