Study On Historical Narration In Scott's Novels

The present dissertation consists of a close examination of the historical narration in Scott's novels. It is divided into three sections.The first section introduces what Scott contributed to European novels and the fact that few researchers are interested Scott in China. It also explains why the study is done and the main opinions of the dissertation.The second section has four chapters. Chapter one analyses Scott's complex of history and Scotland. It underlines Scott's interest in historical narration and his creation of historical novel. Chapter two examines the contents of Scott's historical narration. Under his opinion on history, Scott describes how Scotland was colonized by England and depicts the cultural clash in the process. In his novels, Scott characterized Scotsmen as noble men so as to renew Scots cultural identity as a quid pro quo for which Scotland had lost politically and economically. Chapter three explores the mode of historical narration in Scott's novels. The unity of historical reality and fictional story is essentially characteristic of his novels. Scott depicts historical figures as earthlings and characterizes those fictional figures in historical contexts. Meanwhile, Scott weaves realistic and romantic ingredients into his novels. Chapter four discusses the effect of Scott's historical novels on European writers and Chinese writer such as Li Jie-ren.The last section demonstrates how Scots built a Monument in memory of Scott. It also offers some critical analyses of the contemporary neglect of Scott critically and the critical expectations of the future Scott study...