Western Theory and the Study of Classical Chinese Literature in North America

In the second half of the 20th century, humanistic studies in the West witnessed a “theory explosion”. Unlike traditional European Sinology, American Sinology borrowed the latest Western theoretical approaches and formed a unique feature. The emerging Western theory also influenced the study of classical Chinese literature in the USA, with each Sinologist exhibiting a different tendency. In the context of the development of American Sinology and Western theory, this paper examines the Sinologists’ change of attitudes in different development stages to unveil the characteristics and tendencies of the study of classical Chinese literature in North America.