On The Aesthetic Acceptance Of The Lord Of The Rings By Chinese Readers In The Light Of Reception Theory

In the last half century, ever since its publication, The Lord of the Rings by John Ronald Reuel Tolkien(1892-1973) plays a significant role not only on literature circle but also on filmdom and enjoys its enduring popularity. This thesis takes to analyze the spread and acceptance of The Lord of the Rings in China in the light of Wolfgang Iser‘s Reception Aesthetics or Reader‘s Response theory as well as of the aesthetic viewpoints of Chinese Aesthetics master Wang Guowei. The discussion focuses on the four visions of Chinese readers, the aesthetic pursuit of Chinese readers and on the reason of the popularity of The Lord of the Rings in China.The whole thesis is comprised of four chapters. The first chapter gives a brief introduction to the aesthetic theories and background of the novel. Chapter two elaborates the aesthetic pursuit of Chinese readers from the perspective of the narrator, the character, the plot and the reader according to the aesthetic theories from Iser and Wang Guowei. This major chapter focuses on the achievements of Tolkien, personal and impersonal state of the characters, the reverse plots and state of the settings which place a great impact on the acceptance of Chinese readers. Chapter Three dwells on the motifs of The Lord of the Rings which conform to the norms of traditional Chinese culture. Chapter Four is the conclusion of this thesis. This chapter sums up the aesthetic pursuit of Chinese readers with The Lord of the Rings, and the key issues and problems discussed during the process of research.