On the Narrative Modes of the History of British Literature

Narration is the most common and effective way to show the historical process of literature.What narrative thread to choose is not only a question of how to deal with specific narration,but also a reflection of the literary historian’s concepti,nsight and consciousness.This paper,focused on the publications of the British literary history by Chinese scholars since the 1980s,argues that the narrative modes of these works can be categorized into four major types according to their narrative clues and emphases,namely narrative modes based on theoretical preconceptions,literary genres,major writers and comprehensive factors respectively.The paper also illustrates the features of these different types in an attempt to explore the historical concepts,constructing standards,and native consciousness of Chinese scholars in writing the British literary history.In brief,the multivariable modes and writing styles employed by Chinese scholars symbolize their constantly improving narrative skills and innovativeness in their writing of the British literary history.