China Image In Western Travelogues To China In The Nineteenth Century With Focus On Robert Fortune’s A Residence Among The Chinese

This paper takes Robert Fortune’s(1812-1880)travelogue of his third visit to China,A Residence among the Chinese(1857),as the research object,with the theoretical support of the imagology of comparative literature.By sorting out and summarizing the characteristics of Chinese scenery and natural science images,Chinese character images and Chinese social and cultural images in Fortune’s works,this paper analyzes his unique perspective of observing China,explores the reasons for the generation of his Chinese images,and further explores the mirror significance of Fortune’s Chinese images.This paper will be discussed in the following six parts:The introduction part introduces the research background and significance of this paper,reviews the current status of research on Western travelogues to China in the nineteenth century and Fortune himself and his travelogues at home and abroad,clarifies the research theories and methods used in this paper,and briefly outlines Fortune’s person and books.Chapter one analyzes Fortune’s images of Chinese scenery and natural science.Fortune creates a utopian fantasy between the picturesque and enchanting countryside and the spectacular river tide spectacle,recreates the myth of the vast land and the richness of the world with the rich and unique natural science resources,realizes the replacement from geographical space to psychological space,seeks the spiritual support to return to the British homeland,and establishes the emotional connection with China.Chapter two firstly discusses Fortune’s overall perception of Chinese character group images,and then analyzes several types of official images,female images and monk images that are most vividly depicted in Fortune’s complicated Chinese characters.These overall positive images of Chinese characters to some extent eliminate the inherent prejudice and narrow cognition of Westerners,and contribute to the improvement.Chapter three presents Fortune’s Chinese social and cultural images from the three dimensions of Chinese folk custom,art and history.Despite the limitations of Western centralism and colonialism,Fortune treated heterogeneous cultures with a friendly attitude,respected and understood the Chinese culture that could not empathize with them,and actively sought mutual recognition and consensus with the Chinese culture,which deserves the recognition of researchers.Chapter four discusses the reason and significance of Fortune’s Chinese image.Fortune’s view and image of China are the result of the double action of his historical context and his self-prominence.Fortune entered China under the historical background of the emergence of the image of "inferior China",the situation that Britain is strong and China is weak,and the "Chinoiserie"still exists.His writing of China inevitably had negative historical undertones,reflecting an appreciation and gaze with a sense of superiority.At the same time,Fortune’s triple identity as a humble peasant,a botanist with a scientific mission,and a devout Protestant also influenced his mixed feelings of admiration and contempt for China.Reflecting on oneself in the mirror of others,Fortune’s image of China plays an important role in cross-cultural communication in influencing western perceptions of China and reflecting on self-perceptions of China.The conclusion summarizes the whole text and affirms the progressiveness of A Residence among the Chinese:Fortune strives to reverse the arrogance and prejudice of Westerners,reshapes an overall positive image of China,and promotes the positive communication of the image of China.