| It is widely considered by the critics at home and abroad that W.Somerset Maugham held an attitude of pride and prejudice to China.This thesis attempts to examine systematically three works of Maugham concerning with the image of china,research the image of China written by Maugham from a double cut-in point of the Other and the Self,and finally come to the conclusion that Maugham cherished mutual understanding and identified with Chinese culture, built an unusual spectacle of Chinese culture,deconstructed western identification and tried to find the source of a new civilization in Chinese culture which could save western culture.The essence of the image of the Other written by Maugham is a kind of expression of the Self.This thesis divided into three chapters.Chapter one analyzes the conflict between Maugham's philosophy and western culture,researches his good feeling to Chinese culture which govern the image of china in his works.Chapter two examines three works of Maugham systematically:Of Human Bondage,On a Chinese Screen and The Painted Veil.The novel Of Human Bondage was written by Maugham before he came to China.In this book he described a Chinese Mr.Song who came to the West to learn western philosophy. By this character the author expressed his hope to China and his doubt about superiority of western culture.In the travel book On a Chinese Screen Maugham read and accepted China as a huge text based on the reality,described the beautiful Chinese sceneries passionately,expressed his admiration to Chinese people and Chinese culture,uncovered disadvantages of western humanity and mentality.After he self-examined western culture thoroughly,in the novel The Painted Veil,Maugham subverted the cultural identify of the West especially of British Empire,pointing out that the West is not the rescuer of the East.He brought up implicitly that the source of a new civilization to rescue western culture might be held in eastern culture. Chapter three scrutinizes the image of China written by Maugham under the construction process of the image of China in English literature and analyzes it diachronically;puts it to historical context in order to examine cultural and psychological factors hidden behind the image.The thesis holds the view that the image written by Maugham is not the deformation of the Other based on unfair attitudes,but a projection of the universal dream of seeking spiritual home. |
