On the afternoon of November 28, the lecture titled “History Reality: Theory Creation and Culture Identity--- the Study of Terry Eagleton’s Irish Culture was successfully in Jiye Hall. As the tenured researcher of the Clare College of Cambridge University, a member of experts panel of NSSFC, the vice-director of Chinese studies of RUC, a researcher of Institute of Christian Studies, the chief editor of World Sinology and Foreign Literature Studies and a member of the editorial board of Journal for the Study of Christian Culture and Critical Research on Religion, Professor Geng was invited to share his experiences with teachers and students from CFL in the study of Terry Eagleton and Irish culture. The teachers and students from English Department, Department of Public English Teaching and other universities attended the lecture.
Professor Geng briefly explained the theoretical dimension of Eagleton’s cultural criticism from his works and the studies about him abroad and at home. At first, Professor Geng talked about Eagleton’s thoughts and academic origins by introducing his plays and literary critical works and discussed whether intellectuals should have practical and emancipated qualities in social activities. Professor Geng pointed out that language anomaly would make the upper class uncomfortable and just those writers like Oscar Wilde and James Joyce injected new vigor into English literature by breaking the original language norms in English and posing an challenge to the so-called “father language”.
Professor Geng further explained the theoretical creation of Eagleton and Irish cultural identity through the history when Ireland was colonized. Professor Geng believed that Eagleton introduced the language in Irish culture and broke the traditional English literary language by inheriting the challenge and rebel towards the upper class from the 19th -century Irish scholars and through the influence from such writers like Wilde.
At the end of the lecture, Professor Geng also exchanged with teachers and students. The lecture with a rich meaning and unique view is an academic feast about Eagleton studies.
