The Imagination Of "Civilization" In The Novels Of Late Qing Dynasty

The society in the end of the Qing Dynasty faced with the unprecedented ethnic crisis,Western civilization has swept China with ambiguity.Under the impact of Western civilization,China’s inherent ideology,culture and values have been divided and confronted.This differentiation and opposition was vividly demonstrated in the writer’s writings.From the novels of the late Qing Dynasty,we could have a glimpse of the social confrontation at that time.This paper explores the imagination of "civilization" by the novelists in the late Qing Dynasty,and reviews the complex mental attitude of the scholars in the late Qing Dynasty when facing a strong Western civilization,and their different ideas for China’s approach to "civilization".The first chapter,"Civilization Imagination Based on Daily Experiences",outlines and analyzes the image of western civilization in the late Qing Dynasty novels,and outlines the view of the late Qing Dynasty society’s warm embrace of western civilization.The second chapter,"Self-examination under the Mirror of Civilization",is a further analysis of the causes of the phenomena described in the first chapter.In the late Qing Dynasty,novelists exaggeratedly or implicitly glorified the greatness of Western civilization.Its purpose was to alert the people.Inspire self-reflection and consciousness of change.Under the concept of Western-centred civilization,China has been consciously placed on the barbarian side.The third chapter is the analysis of “The History of Civilization”.Li Boyuan described the complex picture of Chinese society under the impact of Western civilization and questioned Western civilization,the only universal civilization in the world.Is Western civilization really suitable for China society?How should China’s road of civilization go? In the fourth chapter,the two novels," The Prophecy of Dividing " and "The New Stone",show the different imaginations of civilization by Zheng Quan and Wu Jianren.The understanding of "civilization" in the novels of the late Qing Dynasty was based on two clues:force-based theory and virtue-based theory." The Prophecy of Dividing " recognizes that Western civilization is the only civilization that is universally applicable to the world.In view of the actual crises that China was faced with by the Western powers and the impending extermination of the country,heproposed his strategy of saving the nation from the perspective of force-based theory.Zheng Quan believes that China can only conform itself to the criterion of "civilization" through active Westernization,so that Western powers will be bound by the axioms of "civilization" and China can avoid the outcome of being divided by Western powers.Based on virtue-based theory,"The New Stone" raises doubts about the standard of Western civilization based on wealth and strength as a measure of civilization,and carried out Utopian imagination on the real "civilization." However,whether it is force-based theory or virtue-based theory,it has its own unique insights and biases.Civilization is of great significance to the survival of mankind.At the moment,we cannot stop thinking about the sincerity of civilization.Civilization is not a reality that has come true for us today,and it is still a goal that needs continuous search.