The Spread And Evolution Of Anton Chekhov's Plays In China

The author of this thesis systematically combs the spread and evolution of Anton Chekhov's (1860-1904) plays in China in 20th century. The thesis is also an introduction of the translation and research of Anton Chekhov's plays and the great influence of his plays on modern Chinese drama creation. The evolution of the connotations of his plays as classical works is analyzed diachronically with attention paid to the changes of ideology, poetics and patronage behind it. Moreover, a further interpretation of his play's modern connotations in the new historical era is made.The thesis is composed of six parts:(I) From 1906-1929, Anton Chekhov was regarded as a critical realistic writer, whose plays expressed people's longing for a beautiful future and encouraged the Chinese people in the dark society to pursue the brilliant prospects.(II) From 1930-1949, Anton Chekhov was elevated as revolutionary writer like Maxim Gorky (1868-1936) in the leftwing movement in art and literature. His plays predicated the coming of the climax of revolution.(III) From 1950-1979, the study of Anton Chekhov's plays was limited to artistry because of social evolution and the changes in the trend of thought in act and literature.(IV) From 1980 till now, Anton Chekhov has been regarded as a forerunner of modern drama by the Chinese people.(V) The study on Anton Chekhov's aesthetic concept — "inner truth" and his plain and veiled artistic style urged modern Chinese drama into its maturity in 1930s and 1940s.(VI) Based on modern people's living circumstances, the thesis analyzed the eternal living predicament that Anton Chekhov's plays reveal. Life is meaningless, so people have been anxiously looking for the reasons of living but in vain, and this makes them sink into despair.