Chinese Culture In The Foreign Literature - 20th Century China, "history Of Foreign Literature," Textbooks Investigated

Literary History as a new critical genre was formed at the end of 19 century in Europe, when the sociological criticism and the historical point of view were the main currents. The first literary history textbooks were produced after the establishment of modern colleges appeared in China and were the results of modern collegia! course. Being bound to the broadcasting of western thoughts and literary concepts, the writing of the history of foreign literature textbook reflected from a special point of view the reception of the western culture, education system and academic paradigm in the conflict between the western knowledge system and Chinese former system at the beginning of 20 century in China. The studying target and system of foreign literary history have been changed with the indraught of western educational system, the Chinese literary revolution and the restraining and imposing from government. The thesis studied the history of the writing of Chinese (mainland) foreign literary history textbook and its forming and evolvement. Regarding it as a special form of literary criticism , my thesis studies thoroughly Chinese foreign literary history to find out the Chinese reception of foreign literature. Another emphasis of my thesis is to study the changing of some writers, literary works, literary trends and literary circles, questing for the reflection of Chinese reception of foreign literature.As a whole, the history of Chinese literary history of 20cenntury can be divided into 3 periods.1.1917-1949. The first foreign literary history is The literary history of Europe, which is written by Zhou Zuoren in 1917. It had been the teaching material when Zhou taught western literary history in Peking University. The literary history were popular during 1930s and 1940s in China, while there were few academic compositions in them. Other writers of foreign literary history included most of the advocators of New Literary Revolution in China, among whom we could find Shen Yanbing and Zheng Zhenduo . The foreign literary history, just as the foreign literature works translated during this period were used as a way to enlighten the popular.2.1949-1977. The magnum opus of this period is The literary history of Europe, edited by Yang Zhouhan, etc .Being imposed by governmentalideology too much, the political feature spoiled the value of the composition.3.1977-2000. this period can be divided into two parts ,with 1985 as the boundary. The writing of foreign literary history before 1985 still could not abandon the rigescent mode of thinking, while after 1985 the upsurge of foreign literary history took on a polydirectional look.