Problems with understanding xをyに完成する


In the definition for 小説 I found (in bold):

> 文学の一形式。散文体の文学で，一八世紀以後，近代市民社会の **生活・道徳・思想を背景に完成した**
>

>> lit. Form of literature. Is prose literature and, from (and after) 18th
century, modern civilizations xxx

I’m unsure about the bolded part. I know 完成する is almost always intransitive in
Japanese ([Difference between 完成させる and 完成する (transitive usage
only)](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/27454/difference-
between-%e5%ae%8c%e6%88%90%e3%81%95%e3%81%9b%e3%82%8b-and-%e5%ae%8c%e6%88%90%e3%81%99%e3%82%8b-transitive-
usage-only)). But that confuses me more, because there is a を particle there.

How should I, here, interpret xをyに完成する？




The XをYに doesn't have much to do with the valency of 完成する. Rather 近代...思想を背景に
modifies 完成した as an adverbial phrase, meaning _(Novels) was established with
近代..思想 as background_.

The following examples should help to see the pattern.

  * 彼は貯金を元手に起業した. _He started a company with his savings as the starting capital._
  * 彼は忙しさを盾に家事をさぼっている. _He doesn't do chores, using busyness as an excuse (lit. with busyness as a shield)._
  * 彼は親の地位を後ろ盾に出世した. _He made his career with the support of his parent's status._

I think generally it is a good starting point to think _XをYに = with X as Y_.

* * *

Note the relevant definition of
[背景](https://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/word/%E8%83%8C%E6%99%AF/#jn-173659) here:

  * 物事の背後にある事情。また、裏から支える勢力。




The XをYに doesn't have much to do with the valency of 完成する. Rather 近代...思想を背景に
modifies 完成した as an adverbial phrase, meaning _(Novels) was established with
近代..思想 as background_.

The following examples should help to see the pattern.

  * 彼は貯金を元手に起業した. _He started a company with his savings as the starting capital._
  * 彼は忙しさを盾に家事をさぼっている. _He doesn't do chores, using busyness as an excuse (lit. with busyness as a shield)._
  * 彼は親の地位を後ろ盾に出世した. _He made his career with the support of his parent's status._

I think generally it is a good starting point to think _XをYに = with X as Y_.

* * *

Note the relevant definition of
[背景](https://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/word/%E8%83%8C%E6%99%AF/#jn-173659) here:

  * 物事の背後にある事情。また、裏から支える勢力。

