UCLA Electronic Theses and Dissertations
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UCLA UCLA Electronic Theses and Dissertations Title Narrative in Mao Dun's Eclipse Trilogy: A Conflicted Mao Dun Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/51b8p8mk Author Hull, David Publication Date 2012 Peer reviewed|Thesis/dissertation eScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital Library University of California UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA Los Angeles Narrative in Mao Dun’s Eclipse Trilogy: A Conflicted Mao Dun A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Asian Languages and Cultures by David Hull 2012 © Copyright by David Hull 2012 ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION Narrative in Mao Dun’s Eclipse Trilogy: A Conflicted Mao Dun By David Hull Doctor of Philosophy in Asian Languages and Cultures University of California, Los Angeles, 2012 Professor Theodore Huters, Chair This dissertation is an exploration of the narrative mode of Mao Dun’s (茅盾 1896 – 1981) first work of fiction, the 1927-8 Eclipse(蝕) trilogy. It focuses on explaining the context and nature of realism as it appears in the work. The dissertation includes a biography of Mao Dun that covers his early education, and his years as an editor and as a translator. The biography also shows the influence of western literary theory and ideology on his development as an intellectual and author. Realism as a literary mode is presented in its general form and as a type of realism that developed in China. The dissertation also analyzes realism and naturalism as Mao Dun explains the ideas in his own literary criticism. A close reading of samples from the Eclipse trilogy shows how Mao Dun used a type of realism with a shifting objective view, ii similar to a free indirect style. Finally the dissertation provides a textology study: a typology and analysis of the differences between the two major editions of the trilogy. The types include Clarity and Accuracy, Political Concerns, Narrative Voice, Simplification of Characters, and Problematic Sensuality. Through analysis of the differences between the two editions, the dissertation provides evidence that, although Mao Dun was willing to sacrifice some of the complexity and contradictions of his novel in 1954 when the second edition was edited, he strove to maintain the core of his most problematic central characters and the fundamental ideals of his narrative voice. iii The dissertation of David Hull is approved. Jack W. Chen Andrea Sue Goldman David C. Schaberg Theodore D. Huters, Committee Chair University of California, Los Angeles 2012 iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements.......................................................................................................................... vii Vita ................................................................................................................................................ viii Introduction ......................................................................................................................................1 Chapter One: Biography and Context ................................................................................................ 12 Mao Dun’s Early Life ............................................................................................................................... 12 Mao Dun’s Formal Education .................................................................................................................. 16 Early Years at the Commercial Press ....................................................................................................... 26 Mao Dun on Literary Evolution and the Place of Realism in the Hierarchy of Narrative Modes ........... 41 Mao Dun and Politics .............................................................................................................................. 51 Leaving and Returning to Shanghai (Guangzhou) ................................................................................... 58 Leaving and Returning to Shanghai (Wuhan and Guling) ....................................................................... 65 Chapter Two: Narrative Voice ........................................................................................................... 80 Realism .................................................................................................................................................... 80 Views of Mao Dun’s Realism ................................................................................................................... 85 Mao Dun’s Realism ................................................................................................................................. 89 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 89 Mao Dun on Realism and Naturalism ................................................................................................. 93 A Proscriptive Approach To Realism – Objectivity as a Hindrance to Fiction ..................................... 98 The Narrative Voice in Eclipse ............................................................................................................... 104 Chapter Three: Textology ............................................................................................................. 122 Brief History of the Two Texts............................................................................................................... 122 A Brief Context of the Original Edition of the Novels ....................................................................... 123 Brief Context of the 1954 Edition of the Novels ............................................................................... 125 Textology or Textual Criticism? ............................................................................................................. 131 Typology of Changes ............................................................................................................................. 133 Clarity and Accuracy .......................................................................................................................... 134 Political Concerns .............................................................................................................................. 136 Narrative Voice ................................................................................................................................. 141 v Simplification of Characters .............................................................................................................. 145 Problematic Sensuality ...................................................................................................................... 155 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................... 167 Bibliography .................................................................................................................................. 172 vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS While I am deeply grateful to my family, biological and academic, for the unwavering support I have received throughout this process and beyond, I would be remiss if I did not write a few words about Professor Michael Henry Heim, who passed away in the fall of 2012 as I was finishing this dissertation. He was on my committee and on my side from the very beginning. I need not mention the uncountable insights and improvements of his that made this a stronger work; anyone who knows of him will take that as a given. What I do want to acknowledge is the deep influence he had and continues to have on me in a broader sense. I am certainly a better academic, a more effective teacher, and a more supple translator thanks to his guidance, but if I could flatter myself to say that I learned how act with humanity from him, I would be content. vii VITA Education and Employment 1991-1993 Stephen F. Austin State University Nacogdoches, TX Theatre 1996-2000 United States Army 98G 1996-1998 Defense Language Institute Monterey, CA Chinese 2000-2001 Red River Advanced Technical Training Centre Shenyang, PRC English Instructor 2001-2006 University of California, Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 2003 B.A., East Asian Languages and Cultural Studies 2003-2004 Reader 2005-2006 Teaching Assistant 2006 M.A., East Asian Languages and Cultural Studies Thesis: “Un-Translated: The Short Stories of Lin Shu” 2006 Lecturer 2002 Beijing Normal University Beijing, PRC Chinese 2002-3 Peking University Beijing, PRC International Relations 2006-2012 University of California, Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA Asian Languages and Cultures 2006-2012 Teaching Assistant/Teaching Fellow viii 2012 Lecturer 2007 Kudan Institute of Japanese Language School Japanese 2009-2010 East China Normal University Visiting Scholar Translations: 賴和 Lai Ho. “希望我們的喇叭手吹奏激勵民眾的進行曲” “May Our Buglers Play a March to Inspire the People.” Taiwan Literature in English Translation, 15 (2002). 黃榮洛 Huang Jung-lo. “客家人迎媽祖” “The Hakka People's Welcoming of Mazu.” Taiwan Literature in English Translation, 14 (2002). 茅盾 Mao Dun. “動搖 (選)” “Waverings (Selections).” Renditions, 75 (Spring 2011). Conferences and Workshops: Conference Co-Organizer and Panelist: China Undisciplined Conference, University of California, Los Angeles, 2009. “A Wavering Representation in Mao Dun’s Dongyao” Translator: Fudan University Workshop in Scholarly Translation, Shanghai, 2009. “Lin Shu’s Translations” (Qian