Theme of Chastity in Hau Ch'iu Chuan and Parallel Western Fiction

Although widely divergent in cultural traditions, Chinese and European Literatures share similar attitudes toward feminine chastity. For this reason, the first Chinese novel to be translated into a European language, Hau Ch'iu Chuan, known in English as The Fortunate Union, was widely acclaimed in England, France and Germany. Parallels in plot, tone, and moral attitudes are to be found in Richardson’s Clarissa, Goldsmith’s The Vicar of Wakefield, and Manzoni’s I promessi sposi.