| This thesis focuses on the influence of French writer Prosper Mérimée on modern Chinese writer Hsu Yu's novel producing. In particular, it is about the influence and illumination of Mérimée's travel writing on Hsu Yu.Hsu Yu is a well-known Chinese writer in 1930s and 40s. But he has been ignored by literature studies of the main-land china for a long time. And in recent 10 years there are some blind spots in Hsu Yu studies, e.g. there was no lucubration on the western literature influence on his works, which is in fact the most import characteristic of his early novels. Several researchers have mentioned in a few words that Mérimée has important influence on Hsu Yu's early writing, which has been proved by Hsu Yu's own words. So the present dissertation begins with characteristics of Mérimée's novels and the demonstration of the relation between the two writers on their novel producing, in order to prove the foreign literature origin of Hsu Yu's early works, which may bring a new branch of the study. Furthermore, I will adopt the method of influence study in comparative literature, and a main perspective of post-colonialism.In the aspect of material, many early works of Hsu Yu, who was just back from France in 1938, describe the romance experienced by dramatis personae while traveling in other countries. His early novels succeed to the first person writing, the visual angel of a looker, and seeking novelty psychology of romanticism. In the aspect of characters, the influence of Mérimée on Hsu Yu is more obvious. Considering foreign style, mystification, and extremity of characters, Hsu Yu's travel novels are very similar to that of Mérimée. Both of them preferred romantic characters in alien lands and endowed these characters with extraordinary personality charm. In the aspect of content, although the travel novels of both Mérimée and Hsu Yu describe the communication and conflict between varied nations, the different psychology decided by different national background makes the plots different. Mérimée is a high cultural official of colonialist. Although sometimes in his novels he sang high praise for people in varied places, other times he imposed criticism upon them; of course, some plots in Mérimée's novels also reflect his attitude of impersonality and justice. Hsu Yu is a man from semi-colony, and his intercourse with foreigners in China and overseas made him sensitive and eager for esteem. So in Hsu Yu's travel novels, Chinese men and women are all in possession of great talent and charm, and thus achieve acceptance and love from western people.Through the analysis of this thesis, we could see how Hsu Yu's travel works absorbed writing skills of French writer Mérimée, and how a modern Chinese writer in 1930s and 40s accepted or rejected between traditional Chinese culture and exotic western culture. As Hsu Yu borrowed the romantic style of Mérimée, the romanticism of Hsu Yu is obviously different from that of Yu Ta-fu in modern Chinese literature history, which makes Hsu Yu ignored for a long time in literature history.
|
PDF Full Text Request