The Wandering Spirit

This paper attempts to analyze the Oriental writing in Lafcadio Hearn’s Kwaidan works so as to elaborate on the ideas and positions of Hearn in his Kwaidan creation. This paper consists of three parts:The first part is introduction, which introduces the life and creation of Hearn, and then combs the translation and researches concerning Hearn’s Kwaidan conducted by domestic and foreign scholars. Currently, the researches on Hearn by domestic and foreign scholars focus on his travels, essays and writings on Japanese culture, and have no adequate focus on his Kwaidan; researches on Kwaidan are still relatively fragmented and single; some scholars have started to prove that Hearn’s theory of Japanese culture is not west-centrism based on Orientalism, but few scholars have yet begun to analyze the Oriental writing in Hearn’s Kwaidan.The second part is the body consisting of two chapters:Chapter1defines Kwaidan in the traditional sense and Hearn’s, and then combs the development history of Kwaidan literature in China and Japan and the influence of Chinese and Japanese Kwaidan literature imposed on Hearn; therefore, the particularity and status of Hearn’s Kwaidan have been made definitely in the developing history of Kwaidan literature.Section3starts from Hearn’s interests in the East and ghosts, and analyzes that the important influence of Hearn’s mother is one of the reasons for the formation of Hearn’s Oriental complex. Hearn’s interests in ghosts originate from his abhorrence of Western industrial civilization and the influence imposed by Oriental writers on him at that time, all of which result in the generation of Hearn’s Kwaidan.Chapter2mainly explores the Oriental wiring in Hearn’s Kwaidan stories. On the one hand, Kwaidan shows certain color of Orientalism-the rendering of Orientalism, the shaping of Oriental images and the academic interpretation of the story in ghost stories reflect that Kwaidan creation is consistent with the Oriental thinking mode back then; on the other hand, the construction of true characteristics of the East and the mining aspects of the traditional spirit manifest Hearn’s unbiased narrative on the Orient, which the efforts conducted by Hearn in seeking to explain an authentic Orient. Kwaidan stories try to preserve the characteristics of Japanese folk tales and strive to restore a true image of Japan-this is Hearn’s quest for ancient Oriental countries and wonderful spirit. And then explores the destination issue in Hearn’s Kwaidan from the Dream of a Summer Day, which is also the purpose and significance of Hearn’s quest for the Orient and repose on the ghost world. For Hearn, the era of ghosts and goblins is the symbol of the ancient Japan, representing the nature and life, loyalty and kindness; the era of industry is a symbol of modern Japan, representing the machine and numbness, apathy and aggression. As the carrier, ghost world makes Hearn find his final destination in this eastern country. His Kwaidan literary creation is a journey to look for home by being away from home and also a journey to seek for the spiritual home to common human beings.The third part is the conclusion, which summaries the transcendental significance of Hearn’s Kwaidan on Orientalism. Firstly, Hearn’s Kwaidan finalizes the images of ghosts in Japanese modern Kwaidan; secondly, he restores a more objective and real image of Japan by Kwaidan; Finally, Hearn seeks self through Kwaidan, which is personal literary creation, but not an Orientalist work driven by ideology mechanically.