Study On Comparison Of Eileen Chang And Maugham's Novels

Eileen Chang is deeply under the influence of William Somerset Maugham (1874-1965), a British writer, in composing novels. After carefully investigating and comparing their literatures, this thesis illuminates the differences and similarities in their works on four aspects, and probes the cause, presentations and significance of this influence.First of all, their similar family backgrounds, experiences and education induce them to develop similar thoughts, that is, to fix their eyes upon the world outside them and anatomize it, and to present the mess, reversed and out-of-order society and dull, meaningless life. Secondly, the works of them two drive at the notion that human nature tends to evil, which includes the four forms below: selfishness, pretence, worshiping to money and irresistible force of desires. Also, both writers are fond of composing novels by way of telling stories. The patterns of their works seem to come from the same writer. However, Eileen Chang makes the technique of anti-climax, which she has learnt from Maugham , more naturally. Finally, the characters described by them are the combination of both beauty and ugliness, especially ugliness. They not only sculpture the characteristics by activities inside them but also focus on presenting their ugliness, which shows the readers both the conflicts and harmonies in a character, Maugham's language is objective and plain, but the plots impress the readers; whereas Eileen Chang relives the readers by her imagination and deluxe words.We can see from above that Maugham's influence on Eileen Chang plays an important role in the forming of "Eileen Chang Style". On the other hand, their similar defaults and shortfalls also prove that point. Neither of them could find a way to get rid of "life's hardship", in this case, Maugham falls into "the theory of Unknown", whereas Chang "the theory of Destiny".Han RuiDirected by Ren Guangtian...