An Idealized "misreading": The Reception Study Of "The Moon And Sixpence" In China In The 21st Century

Maugham’s novel The Moon and Six Pence was published in 1919,then sought after by Chinese readers a hundred years later and recommended to the top of 2017 Chinese Douban reading list.The emergence of this upsurge is closely related to domestic special background,cultural environment and social development in new century.The intermittent renewal of the media also promotes the formation of this upsurge.Based on the acceptance of the novel by Chinese readers in new century,this paper discusses the reasons for readers’ acceptance of the novel.Based on the theory of expectation horizon in Jauss’ s Reception aesthetics,this paper makes a comprehensive analysis of the reception heat of The Moon and Six Pence in the new century by means of reception research,text analysis and reader’s investigation.It points out that on the one hand,the upsurge of this novel is caused by the promotion of external factors,on the other hand,the content of the novel is consistent with the expectation field of vision of readers,and the meaning of the text is mixed by both writer’s historical vision and readers’ modern vision,which can make up for the important problem of readers’ lack of ideal in the new era.The paper is divided into four parts:The first chapter analyzes the background and foundation of the reception of The Moon and Six Pence in China.According to the situation of the novel in different times in China,the acceptance of the novel in China can be divided into the initial stage,the warm period and the upsurge period.The second chapter analyzes the reason why The Moon and Six Pence is popular in the new century.This novel cannot be loved by many readers without the help of external factors,including the participation and guidance of opinion leaders,the fanaticism of translation and introduction under the tide of business and the readers’ favor for the value of symbols.The third chapter analyzes the reasons why The Moon and Six Pence is popular in China from the perspective of readers’ expectation.In the new century,Chinese readers have formed a kind of expectation for the text under the specific cultural tradition,ethics,hobbies and acceptance standards,which determines the readers’ basic attitude and evaluation of the work.The readers’ expectation of the novel is to meet their own psychological demands,which include: escaping from the current reality,seeking for individual spirit and looking back on the original nature.The fourth chapter makes a rational analysis of readers’ acceptance in the new century.The readers made contributions to the cross-century communication of the novel and gave it new vitality.However,most of the readers’ acceptance of the novel deviates from Maugham’s pursuit of pure art.They do not pay much attention to the emancipation of will and the abstinence of genius in the novel.Their eyes turn to the pursuit of realistic ideal,and switch the author’s artistic ideal to the ideal of secular life.Although the acceptance and evaluation of readers are more and more important for literary creation,it is necessary to make rational analysis and judgment for the public acceptance.