On The Appropriated Image Of China In Oliver Goldsmith’s The Citizen Of The World

Oliver Goldsmith (1730-1774) is one of the most important British writers in theeighteenth century, and his fame is next only to Samuel Johnson in the second half of theeighteenth century. The Citizen of the World (1760-1761), one of Goldsmith’s most famousworks, with its popular epistolary form of the day, describes the experience of the Chinesephilosopher Lien Chi Altangi who travels to London and criticizes the British social illness atthat time. With the rise of Comparative Literature Imagologie, some scholars have analyzedthe image of China in this work, however, this thesis studies it from the perspective of“appropriation” to further explore the image of China in The Citizen of the World, and then toanalyze its performative effects in the eighteenth century British literature. This thesisconcludes that the image of China in The Citizen of the World is not the author’s objectivedescriptions of foreign culture, but the idealized image appropriated by Goldsmith to attackthe British society concerning its citizens’ idiosyncrasies, politics, laws, morality and religion.“Appropriation” is a very important notion in Post-colonialism, which generallyspeaking, means “being used for other purposes”, or changing from the original purpose ofone culture to other purposes, and implies a strong sense of ideology or the subversion ofone’s own group value. In Orientalism, Edward Said points out that the Orient is one of thedeepest and most recurring images of the Other. Appropriating the East as the Other can helpto define Europe as its superior contrasting image, idea, personality and experience. Theeighteenth century Britain was a time of parliamentary instability at home and the SevenYears’ war with France overseas, yet China was experiencing an amazing period of peaceunder the Jesuits missionaries’ accounts. Therefore, the British literati set up the idealizedimage of China as a model for the British society. This thesis tries to analyze what image ofChina is constructed in The Citizen of the World, at the same time, how this fictional idealizedOther is appropriated in the enhancement of the British society at that time.This thesis is made up of three chapters, besides Introduction and Conclusion. ChapterOne analyzes how Goldsmith appropriates the idealized Chinese people. In The Citizen of theWorld, Chinese people are constructed as idealized people with both outer beauty and innerbeauty, and their civilizedness is especially highly praised. By contrast, British people’s idiosyncrasies are under great attack, especially their pride, hypocrisy, profligacy andabsurdity. Chapter Two reveals how Goldsmith appropriates the idealized Chinese politicalinstitutions and legal-judicial system. Goldsmith represents China as a country withenlightened emperors and political system, humane legal and judicial system in The Citizen ofthe World. Compared with the idealized Chinese society, Goldsmith discloses the endlesswars, the corrupt parliamentary election, distempered legal system and unjust judicial systemin Britain. Chapter Three analyzes how Goldsmith appropriates the idealized ChineseConfucianism. The Chinese social morality is based on the traditional Confucian culture, withthe doctrines of humaneness, filial piety and ritual consciousness. Besides, Chinese peoplebelieve in moral principles instead of religious doctrines. As for the Westerners,Confucianism is considered as a kind of natural religion, which is observed by the Chinesepeople with great toleration, therefore, China appears to be in an amazing period of peace andprosperity, where there are never religious wars in history. Goldsmith compares the idealizedConfucianism with the British morality and religion, and aims to attack the Britishimmorality and impiety on religion.Through the analysis of the image of China in The Citizen of the World, this thesisconcludes that China as the Other here, is a kind of Utopian image, which is appropriated forself-construction and self-improvement. Goldsmith appropriates the idealized image of Chinajust to call into question the British social reality and gain insight for the enhancement of thesociety and manners in Britain.