Western Literature Comments On The Level Doctrine Probing

The study of Northrop Frye has gone on for several years in China, and it harvests abundantly. But the study of Frye and his theory mainly focuses on his Myth-Archetypal Criticism theory, Cultural Criticism and Cultural Studies. The writer considers that it is not enough to merely regard Frye as a representative person of Myth-Archetypal Criticism theory and Cultural Studies, because it can't generalize Frye's scientific status and influences adequately. This dissertation intents to discuss from two angles, one is diachronic angle and another is synchronic angle. From the diachronic angle, it comments on the level-theory of Western literary criticism, and compares Frye's Five-level criticism theory with the other persons' level-theory of literary criticism, and searches the merits of Frye's Five-level criticism theory. From the synchronic angle, it introduces Frye's Five-level criticism theory roundly, and unscrambles Frye's scientific system from a brand-new view, and demonstrates that the merits of Frye's Five-level criticism theory lie on: the theory advocates to spurn the narrow views of all sorts of criticism, and advocates to look into literary phenomena under the background of literary universe from many levels, from many orientations, and from many dimensionalities. This way has elicitation and references to up-to-date literary criticism. Through this way, the dissertation also intents to find a new way and a new method to up-to-date literary criticism.