Author(s)

Siyu Chen

Corresponding Author

Siyu Chen

ABSTRACT

Influence studies of the French school, as the most traditional methodology of comparative literature, is of pioneering significance to disciplinary establishment of comparative literature. Despite its great contributions to the founding and development of comparative literature, we cannot turn a blind eye to the deficiency of influence studies. Since influence studies, confined in the same single civilization, conceives of homogeneity as its basis of comparability and focuses on searching for the identity of the same origin, what it ignores is the complicated process of variation and the fact of variation when different literatures disseminate and influence each other. Therefore, variation studies of literary dissemination, as an innovative development for influence studies, focuses on heterogeneity and variability in empirical studies of literary influence. Based on specific cases, this paper analyzes the two levels of variation studies during the process of literary dissemination. This paper argues that only when both empirical studies and variation studies are incorporated into its research scope could influence studies be complete and comprehensive.

KEYWORDS

Influence studies, Variation theory, Variation studies of literary dissemination, Comparative literature