Reconstruction Of Twentieth-century American Readers’ Horizon Of Expectation In The Good Earth

Pearl Sydenstricker Buck(1892-1973)is a famous American writer who wrote lots of works and devoted herself into promoting the communication and understanding between the East and the West in her whole life.In 1931,she published her representative work,The Good Earth which is considered to be an epic work depicting Chinese farmers’ life and popular around the world.It made profound influence on its main target readers,twentieth-century American readers.Therefore,based on H.R.Jauss’ reception aesthetics,the thesis studies the reconstruction of twentieth-century American readers’ horizon of expectation in The Good Earth to present readers’ new view of China constructed after reading.First,how The Good Earth satisfied American readers’ horizon of expectation is analyzed from two aspects.In American elements,similar circumstances and spirits and familiar agricultural tradition connected the emotions of different nations.In Western elements,the archetypes in ancient Greek mythology,the influence of Charles Dickens and the strong biblical style shortened the distance between the work and readers.Next,how The Good Earth went beyond American readers’ horizon of expectation is explored from three aspects.The characterization of complicated and virtuous Chinese people broke some of American readers’ entrenched prejudices towards Chinese.The display of authentic Chinese customs and culture overturned part of the demonized distortion towards Chinese customs and culture.The innovation of novel writing updated the knowledge of writing techniques in American readers’ reading experience.At last,the thesis demonstrates how The Good Earth influenced twentieth-century American readers’ attitude towards China by comparing their view about China before The Good Earth with their view after The Good Earth.Satisfying readers’ horizon of expectation helped them accept the work more easily.Exceeding readers’ horizon of expectation subverted their cultural perceptions and brought them aesthetic pleasure.In the process of satisfying and exceeding readers’ horizon of expectation,The Good Earth reconstructed twentieth-century American readers’ horizon of expectation in images of China and knowledge of novel writing.Accordingly,it improved mutual understanding of different nations and the communication between the East and the West.