1982

[James, Henry]. Hua sheng dun guang chang. Zhanmusi ; Hou Weirui yi. [ID D34510].
While deeply appreciative of James' writing, Hou comments, "The reason that the characters and the social aspects are somehow 'narrow and restricted' is that the author had relatively little social experience. James knew little about the difficult lives of people in society's lower strata. Nor did he know much about the rising social struggles at that period when capitalism was turning into imperialism". Hou seeks to balance a laudatory approach to James qua modernist with criticism of James' conservative aestheticism. This is a balancing act that is fairly common in Chinese introductions to works written by centrist or conservative American writers as the translator seeks to reconcile literary and political reputations. What is often missing, however, is the integration and reconciliation of these reputations. Hou introduces the plot of Washington Square with the observations that "American capitalism developed quickly in the middle of the nineteenth century…[and]…The generation of Americans born at that period did not hesitate to use every method to pursue material profits: wealth-hunting was the basis of their system of virtues". The introduction does not synthesize its socio-historical information with the novel's plot, nor does this substantial discussion treat the gender aspects of the 'woman as capital' dispute between Dr. Sloper and Morris Townsend. Failure to discuss gender issues significantly distanced Hou's introduction from the feminist discussions that characterized Washington Square elsewhere in the world in 1982.