The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1910-07-23
CHINESE LITERATURE.

CHINESE LITERATURE.
To the average western mind Chi
nese literature is a closed book. "The
Chinese" Mr.. John Stuart Thomson
tells us, however, in his work with
that title, can boast counterparts of
such glories of English literature as
Milton, Shelley, Chatterton, Leigh
Hunt, Edgar Allan Poe and others Of
equal Importance. The poet Tu Flu,
the celestial Chatterton, starved to
death on a temples steps," and Poe's
Raven" matched by the century
old white Owl ODE which has it's
exact plot. The Chinese also have
their Herodotus, Horace and Ovid.
If western ignorance rates the Chi
nese as a race without literature, the
Chinese, it seems, entertain a general
and, to their minds well-founded, dis
dain for the west, as compared with
their own racial and national super
iority.. Mr. Thomson quotes at length
the trenchant diatribe of bonze
(whose name he does not give) in
which he hays western arrogance
for pretending to any such claim. He
commands attention, for he does not
merely assert. He gives his reasons.
Thus:
you were great once, and that
is not now. You will never produce
a bible or a Shakespeare again, for
you are used to Injuries, and you will
forever dispise the simple poverty
that produced the poetry of Eliza
beth's time, and the manly virtues
that evolved the philosophy of Pla-
tos and Pauls day. The bible gave
you sturdy virtues, but now that you
have machinery you are looking unto
wealth for greatness"
The bonze ascribes China's superb
ority to the Chinese lack of rebel
lious envy on the part of the unhap-
Ply many against the privileged few"
and the little opportunity for that
grinding oppression which breeds un-
dying hate, because prominence and
unselfishness are synonymous" I'VE
glory in teaching Confucius in all
our schools. *** You throw your great
est book out of your national schools"
After declaring that we were hard
er to civilize than any race" he pre-
diets our downfall and the exalta-
ton of China. I'm the adaptation of
ourselves to the inventive age you
will see that we shall reach the high
est possible standard. We have
conscience enough to follow what
time, the only test land test us by it'll
has proved to be right. Look to your,
selves!
Mr.. Thomson adds on his own ac-
count, that when the extension of rail
roads shall scatter the dialects, the
Chinese will have that unification
of speech and resultant dissemina-
ton of ideas" whose absence have
kept them from moving forward as
a very assertive body in the worlds
policy" This has not been due, he
declares, to lack of religion or in
ventions.
Mr. Thomson's maintains that
there are only three races who APP
preciate and constantly use humor-
the American, the Scotch and the Chi
nese." Mr., Thomson's name is John
Stuart, and the receipt of injecting a
joke into a Scotchman may come to
mind. When little Hakka girl, car
rying her brother on her back, was
asked: as he heavy?" she replied,
mo, he is my brother" The naivete
seems the pathos of humor, but Mr..
Thomson carefully explains that the
child had no sense of humor or of
humanity in responding, but the grin
on my 'rickisha mems faces showed
that they had seen the other phase"
If "the other phase" is supposed to
appeal to sense of humor, it may be
the kind which Mr., Thomson credits
the Chinese with.
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