In this volume drawn from papers given at an international symposium on Northrop Frye in Hoh-Hot, Inner Mongolia, editors Jean O'Grady and Wang Ning have created far more than a summary of the proceedings. NorthropFrye: Eastern and Western Perspectives presents 'a double mirror,' wherein 'the west and its critical theory are reflected in China, and China reflects back to the west the use it has made of it.'


The first section - 'Frye as Theorist' - offers insights into his theoretical approaches and the new context provided by cross-cultural questions. The second section applies his theory to Canadian literature and includes a memorable reading of Margaret Atwood's Cat's Eye by James Steele. Finally, in 'Frye and China,' Chinese scholars study the reception of archetypal criticism in China, and - breaking new ground - apply his critical method to their own literature. This volume asks far-reaching questions about the universality of Frye's theory. It ends with a valuable bibliography of 35 recent Chinese works on Frye and archetypal theory.