The Popularity of Jane Eyre in China

Abstract

Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre has gradually achieved a great popularity among Chinese readers from its first introduction into China in 1917 to the 1980s when China introduced an open door policy. Therefore, millions of copies of various versions of the novel have been sold in China in the past 30 years. Though the interpretations of the novel change under different political and social circumstances, it is always fascinating to readers and academic scholars in China, for it not only possesses a literary and aesthetic charm of its own, but also has rich thematic meanings and implied moral teachings somewhat similar to traditional Chinese ethics, and gives Chinese readers resonance to life. It is so well appreciated by Chinese readers that it is recommended by the Chinese national education department as one of the fundamental compulsory reading books for primary and middle school students. In fact, it seems to have melt into the Chinese culture and may have far-reaching influence in China.