中國新文學是在反對中國舊傳統、學習西方現代文學的大趨勢下成長起來的。但由於新文學作家大都熟悉舊文學傳統，本身又習染舊文化，很難擺脫它們的影響，因此中國新文學不自覺的就成為新舊交雜之下的產物。本文以小說為核心，分析舊文學傳統中的史傳型和說書型敘述文學，如何制約了新文學中的小說家，使他們不可能學習到西方現代小說的精髓。同時，也對產生中國傳統敘述文學和西方現代小說的社會背景略加分析，以進一步說明新文學中的小說所以不能「神似」西方現代小說的深層原因。

Chinese New Literature developed within the twofold historical trend of opposing old traditions and learning modern Western literature. However, most authors of Chinese New Literature were familiar with the old literary tradition and steeped in traditional culture; therefore, it was difficult to remain free of their influence. Chinese New Literature thus unconsciously became a mixture of novelty and tradition.Focusing on novels, this paper analyzes how traditional forms of historico-biographical and storytelling narrative literature restricted the novelists of Chinese New Literature and made it impossible for them to grasp the essence of the modern Western novel. It also examines the social contexts within which Chinese traditional narrative literature and modern Western novels emerged to further explain why the novels of Chinese New Literature were not able to "resemble" modern Western novels.