Shu Xiancheng (1921-1999) is a major Hong Kong author and is a representative of the native literature in Hong Kong. This thesis analyses Shu Xiangcheng’s three novels, The Sun Has Gone Down, White Jade Orchid Tree and The River Banks of Paris, in the light of the theories of bildungsroman, archetypal criticism and national allegory. Apart from studying the major features represented in the three novels, this thesis also reveals the similarities and differences between Shu’s bildungsroman and the western tradition. This thesis makes a new attempt to arrive at a deeper understanding of Shu Xiangcheng’s studies....[ Read more ]

Shu Xiancheng (1921-1999) is a major Hong Kong author and is a representative of the native literature in Hong Kong. This thesis analyses Shu Xiangcheng’s three novels, The Sun Has Gone Down, White Jade Orchid Tree and The River Banks of Paris, in the light of the theories of bildungsroman, archetypal criticism and national allegory. Apart from studying the major features represented in the three novels, this thesis also reveals the similarities and differences between Shu’s bildungsroman and the western tradition. This thesis makes a new attempt to arrive at a deeper understanding of Shu Xiangcheng’s studies.

With regard to literary genre, Shu Xiangcheng’s bildungsroman not only adopts the style and form of the western tradition but, at the same time, makes necessary adaptations in his novels. This thesis studies the major characteristics of the protagonists, mentors and themes in the three novels. It shows that the three novels represent envision, realization and disillusion of the ideal of the protagonists. Looking from the perspective of national allegory, the three novels can be interpreted as the development of Hong Kong from the Second World War to the 1970’s. The three novels not only reflect the universal characteristics but also the Chinese traits and Hong Kong nativeness of the mentors. Finally, this thesis reveals how the protagonists response differently to the call for bildung in the novels through the themes of love and death.