The Spread and Reception of Don Quixote in China

Guoen Chen,Hongying Zhao

doi:10.4236/als.2014.22011

Abstract

The reception of Don Quixote in China started in the early 20th century, with its media Japanese literature and Russian literature and its initiating point Chinese social reforms as well as intellectuals’ self-reflections on their role. Zhou Zuoren was the very first to make a scientific criticism of the novel Don Quixote while Lu Xun took the lead in exploring the essence of Don Quixote’s spirit, defining it as mixing realism with idealism, which would have a negative impact on its readers. Lu Xun was thus inspired to create a character named AQ, eternally charming readers. Feiming, as an explorer of the truth of humanity, orientalized Don Quixote’s spirit in the form of parody. Don Quixote has become a universal symbol of the human spirit, has aroused the attention of Chinese intellectuals, and has even directly “engaged in” the controversies in the Chinese literary world. By the end of 20th century, translations and research on Don Quixote attained new achievements, Don Quixote again winning recognition as an essential theoretical category in helping researchers in the literary world elaborate on the phenomenon of human spirit.

Highlights

Introduction of Don Quixote intoChina in the Early 20th CenturyDon Quixote came to China in the early 20th century
In approximately 1908, Lu Xun and Zhou Zuo-ren read the German version of Don Quixote in Japan
The first scientific literary review of Don Quixote was made by Zhou Zuoren in his History of European Literature, published in 1918, which was originally the manuscript of his lectures in Beijing University

Summary

Introduction of Don Quixote into China in the Early 20th Century

Don Quixote came to China in the early 20th century. In approximately 1908, Lu Xun and Zhou Zuo-ren read the German version of Don Quixote in Japan. The first scientific literary review of Don Quixote was made by Zhou Zuoren in his History of European Literature, published in 1918, which was originally the manuscript of his lectures in Beijing University He wrote in the book, “Cervantes creates the book to make ironies on the time; namely, he illustrates to the public that those following conventional thoughts find it hard to adapt to the new age. After the upsurge of May Fourth’s new cultural movement, an urgent question arose over how intellectuals adjusted their value system, defined their historical position and balanced their relations with the ordinary people At this time, Zhou Zuoren welcomed the “return” of Don Quixote, attaching importance to the complementarities between Don Quixote and Hamlet in helping cultivating sound human nature and culture, as well as the relation between Don Quixote. The desolateness within reflects what Zhou Zuoren has experienced about life, and his “historical introspection and self-reflection on the historical role the new cultural movement of May Fourth and he (and intellectuals alike) played in the new movement” (Qian, 1993)

Lun Xun’s Reception

Influence on Feiming

The Response by the End of the 20th Century