Modern Scholars' Image Compared In Fortress Besieged & Small World

Fortress Besieged, the only novel left by Chien Chung-shu, depicts a scholar's tragedy both in career and marriage. In particular, Fortress Besieged carries the unique thought of Mr. Chien, a scholarly writer himself, which has risen to prominence since its advent and drawn back readers' attention after four decades. As for Small World by British writer David Lodge, it is quoted as an extraordinary and fantastic academic novel. Publically recognized as fine example of School Literature, Small World is comparable to Fortress Besieged of British version, oozing obvious charm and popularity. There exist two understandings towards academic novels-one refers to the identity of writers who are scholars themselves, the other focuses on the content of novels revolving around scholars. Undoubtedly, Chien Chung-shu and David Lodge possess both, and for this reason, the world of scholars they describe renders a strong sense of reality. The thesis employs the concept of Paradise Lost, from the perspective of modern scholars in these two novels, to analyze scholars' living status, in an attempt to discuss a multitude of issues concerning philosophy and art through this image.To start with, the development of scholar images in Sino-Western novels has respective origin as well as national disparity. Specifically speaking, the process is evidently seen in Fortress Besieged and Small World, say, from hero to ordinary people to anti-hero. The two novels have deprived the sacred sense from traditional scholars. This is what Chapter One states.Since the thesis talks of the development of scholars' image, it has to conduct exploration in the origin of the two novels. What do scholars weep for? Where are their plights of existence? Chapter Two gives a brief introduction to the creation of the two novels, bestowing a real atmosphere on the image of scholars.Chapter Three illustrates in detail the image of scholars in the two novels, including description of a group of scholars, that of typical ones such as Fang Hongjian, Perth, etc. as well as that of female characters. How to view and explain scholars' image in light of philosophy and post-modernism is what Chapter Four needs to address. The author borrows existentialism and post-modernism to give Fortress Besieged and Small World an interpretation respectively, manifesting Chien Chung-shu' s worry about the society and David Lodge's boycott towards hopelessness.The scholars' image produces the aesthetic significance. Fifth chapter attempts to explore the aesthetics itself and its connotation from the two novels. Fortress Besieged and Small World lack no beautiful things themselves. However, their biggest feature comes from the sarcastic art.Finally, the thesis concludes that, although scholars have lost their paradise, they will adjust themselves into maturity amidst the development and change. Chien Chung-shu and David Lodge, assuming as Explorers of Existence (by Milan Kundera), have revealed the human nature in the two novels, thus creating a new spirit of aesthetics, namely, continuous improvement among the imperfect. In this sense, Fortress Besieged and Small World, different but harmonious with each other, have brought multiple pleasure and illumination to our readers.