ID: 225
/ 160: 1
Open Group Individual Submissions
Topics: G59. Oriental Literature in World Literature: Exchanges and Mutual Learning - Zhai, Lu (Central South University, China); Weirong Zhao(Sichuan University)Keywords: Republican era, Chinese literature, gender, narrative; power
The Image of Girls in Chinese Fiction During the Republican Era
Yiwen Li
University of Sydney, Australia
The finding of the children is a significant literary theme in contemporary Chinese literature as well as a significant means by which intellectuals in the Republic of China strive to construct a contemporary sense of national identity. The academic community in the fields of modern Chinese literature and cultural history has progressively begun to pay more attention to images of children and women, but the topic of how children and women were discovered and built by modern literature, with “girls” as the key thread, has not yet been completely explored. In order to better understand the survival and mental state of girls during the Republican era as demonstrated by the observation, reproduction, and creation of the girls’ image by writers during that era, this research will examine how girls are portrayed in novels written. By using close reading, literary theorist Susan Sniader Lanser’s female narrative perspective, historical context from the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China, and literary theory, this study will examine how the girl image in literature reflects the social and cultural background of the Republic of China and how intellectuals can create a new nation by writing the girl image. The image-building of girls in the Republic of China is a crucial clue for reexamining the literature and social culture of that country. This study also will offer some valuable insights for future research on social change and escalating ideological trends.
ID: 279
/ 160: 2
Open Group Individual Submissions
Topics: G59. Oriental Literature in World Literature: Exchanges and Mutual Learning - Zhai, Lu (Central South University, China); Weirong Zhao(Sichuan University)Keywords: Travel Narratives; Western Literature; Nepalese Literature; Cultural Contexts; Comparative Analysis
The Snow Leopard and Dolpo: Analyzing Two Tales of Adventure and Spirituality from the West and the East
Sushil Ghimire
Balkumari College, Bharatpur-2, Chitwan, Nepal, Nepal
This paper delves into the distinct yet interconnected themes of adventure and spirituality in travel narratives. It examines and explores how cultural, historical, and religious contexts influence the portrayal of travel experiences from the west and the east by examining Peter Matthiessen's The Snow Leopard and Karna Shakya's Dolpo. The purpose of this study is to compare and contrast the narrative styles, thematic elements, and cultural reflections in the west and the east. The methodology involves a qualitative analysis of the selected texts, focusing on recurring themes, narrative techniques, and cultural references. The study employs a comparative approach to draw meaningful conclusions about the similarities and differences between these two travel narratives. For this, I utilize Joseph Campbell's concept of the hero's journey to examine the protagonists' quests for self-discovery and transformation; Mircea Eliade's theory of the sacred and the profane to explore the spiritual dimensions of the journeys; and Edward Said's concept of Orientalism to analyze the portrayal and perception of Western and Eastern perspectives on travel and spirituality for the textual analysis and interpretation. Both narratives, however, share a common thread of self-discovery and personal growth through travel. This comparative analysis offers unique insights into their respective cultures and worldviews. The study contributes to a deeper understanding of how travel writing can serve as a bridge between different cultures, fostering greater appreciation and empathy among readers.
ID: 364
/ 160: 3
Open Group Individual Submissions
Topics: G59. Oriental Literature in World Literature: Exchanges and Mutual Learning - Zhai, Lu (Central South University, China); Weirong Zhao(Sichuan University)Keywords: T. S. Eliot; Chinese Reception; A. I. Richards; William Empson
The Early Reception of T. S. Eliot in China: Under the influence of I. A. Richards, William Empson and others
Chen Lin
Shanghai Normal University, China, People's Republic of
There were two major climaxes in the reception of T. S. Eliot in China, the first was from 1930s to 1940s, and the second was in the 1980s. The first climax, or what we call the early reception of Eliot in China, directly arose from educational activities of a group of British and American scholar coming to China during 1930s to 1940s, the most influential ones among whom were I. A. Richards and William Empson. They made three main contributions in introducing and promoting Eliot in China: 1. initial introductions in courses and lectures, arousing Chinese scholars and students’ interests in Eliot; 2. collaboration with Chinese scholars to translate and introduce Eliot in newspapers and magazines; 3. enhancing the face-to-face communication between Eliot and Chinese scholars. Richards and Empson both had their own academic inclinations, and thus inevitably carried personal scholarly imprints and preferences when promoting Eliot. This led to two major tendencies in the early reception of Eliot in China.
The first distinctive feature was that Eliot’s literary theory was widely regarded as a kind of “practical criticism”. Another important tendency was an emphasis of “intellectuality” in Eliot’s poetry, which contributed to the formation of “The Intellectual Poetry” Movement in China. Apart from the influences from the early promoters, Chinese academy’s overall preferences and the demands of Chinese modernist literature were all factors contributing to how Eliot’s poetry and poetics had been translated, interpreted and reshaped in 1930s and 1940’s China.
ID: 422
/ 160: 4
Open Group Individual Submissions
Topics: G59. Oriental Literature in World Literature: Exchanges and Mutual Learning - Zhai, Lu (Central South University, China); Weirong Zhao(Sichuan University)Keywords: Ezra Pound; Confucius; Confucian culture; Western civilization; The Cantos
Ezra Pound’s Conception of “Heroic Confucius” and the Vision for Reconstruction of Western Civilization Through Confucian Ideals
Lu Zhai
Central South University, China, China, People's Republic of
Ezra Pound was a key figure in the East-to-West transmission of Chinese culture in the first half of the 20th century. His deep engagement with Chinese cultural elements played a pivotal role in exchanges and mutual learning between East and West civilizations. This paper, using an imagological approach within comparative literature, presents a systematic study of Pound’s depiction of Confucius and its underlying ideology, drawing on primary literature and close textual analysis. In works like The Cantos, Pound juxtaposes Confucius with Western heroic figures—Odysseus, Malatesta, Augustine, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson—framing Confucius as a hero who uses wisdom to guide Western civilization out of crisis and aid in the restoration of social order after two world wars. The “heroic Confucius” conception within Pound’s vision as a framework for reconstructing Western civilization, grounded in Confucian philosophy. This model advocates for a shift from unchecked “freedom” toward elite governance as a means of societal order. In addition, Pound’s engagement with core Confucian concepts like “Zheng Ming” and the Confucian view of order influenced Pound’s broader engagement with political and economic reform in 20th-century Western thought.
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