The Borrowed Oriental Feathers

Oscar Wilde has always been the focus of the various literary and cultural studies. One can often see some dainty Oriental artifacts and exquisite curiosities are referred to in Wilde’s works, such as, blue and white porcelain peacock feathers.By the impact of Pre-Raphaelite painter Rossetti, Whistler, Wilde was indeed interested in collecting Oriental artifacts.What’s more, in1889, English translated version of the Chinese classic philosophical works Chuang Tzu which translated by the British Sinologist Herbert A. Giles was Published.Oscar Wilde wrote up a comment a Chinese Sage about this book to express approval of the philosophic thoughts and aesthetic ideas of Chuang Tzu. All these are considered to be convincing arguments to prove that Wilde and Chinese culture is linked closely. But in the late nineteenth century, the image of China was no longer magical and beautiful in Western culture, and Oscar Wilde had no in-depth understanding of Chinese culture. For these reasons we believe that what made Wilde’s awareness and understanding of Chinese culture is only blue and white porcelain and other handicrafts, and his understanding of Chuang Tzu is somewhat too subjective.This paper will analyze from three aspects, the image of China in the late nineteenth century in Western culture; Oscar Wilde given the special meaning of the blue and white porcelain, orchids, peacock feathers and other oriental things; and Oscar Wilde’s interpretation of Chuang Tzu. The paper is divided into five parts. The first part of this paper is the preface which introduces the situation of research on Aestheticism and Oscar Wilde in China. Chapter one briefly introduced the image of China in the late nineteenth century in Western culture, analyzes the causes of Oscar Wilde’s enthusiasm of the Chinese culture. Chapter two illustrate the significance of Chinese blue and white porcelain, orchids, peacocks and other things that given by Wilde, and the association between these things and the Chinese culture. Chapter three will start with Oscar Wilde’s interpretation of Chuang Tzu and try to analyze the difference between what Oscar Wilde believed in and practiced by Oscar Wilde and the philosophic thoughts and aesthetic ideas of Chuang Tzu. Finally is a summary of this paper.