Origin And Originality

This thesis makes a tentative study of Ch'ien Chung-shu's critical assimilation of The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling by Henry Fielding.Firstly, the author focuses on comparing both writers' values of literary composing, their literary techniques, their respective insight into human nature, their portrayal of the essentials of characters and their styles of language etc., trying to prove that the influence of Henry Fielding upon Ch'ien Chung-shu's works is great.Then, the author focuses on differentiating both writers' literary techniques, their exhibited patterns of human nature and their designs of the destiny of characters, in addition with eliciting Ch'ien's unique blend of tradition and innovation in Chinese-Western literary expressional manner, trying to figure out that Ch'ien's literary originality is also great.Meanwhile, the author, on the basis of the comparative study, hopes to bring about a better understanding for readers between the comparison of the Eastern and Western literatures.