The New Criticism In China

The Anglo-American New Criticism has exerted a most important influence upon the development of contemporary literary theory in the West. As a formalist theory, it views the literary text as the only legitimate center for literary studies, and insists on textual interpretation and value judgement as the two major tasks of literary criticism. It advocates and practices a kind of close reading, an approach to literary texts which has been recognized by many Western scholars as its most important contribution the English-speaking world has made to literary studies.New Criticism first traveled to China in the 20s of the last century, and this travel reached a climax in the 80s. This thesis offers a critical study of the problematics of this process through a detailed examination of its many (mis)readings and (mis)translations in China. It consists of four parts. Chapter One briefly introduces the rise of Anglo-American New Criticism and its Chinese reception. Drawing on Edward Said's elaborations on "the traveling theory", I point to the misreadings and mistranslations that have appeared as a result of the resistances that the New Criticism has encountered in its travel in China. Chapter Two analyzes some examples of the Chinese misreading of the New Criticism that have occurred in relation to its theoretical orientation, methodology and terminology. I also analyze some of the ideological and cultural operations behind such misreadings. Chapter Three offers a detailed study of the Chinese mistranslations of New Criticism. I argue that problems are largely due to the difficulty of understanding and translating syntactic complexities, key terms, and major New Critical teachings. Chapter Four is the conclusion in which I propose that the traveling Western theories have definitely been an enhancing force for Chinese literary criticism, but misreading and mistranslation have hampered the Chinese assimilation and appropriation of New Criticism and other theories over a period of 80-odd years. At the present time when more and more scholars are calling for the return of literature to literary studies, it may be good time for us to revaluate the gains and losses in our reception of New Criticism.