Chapter One Introduction 1
Ⅰ．Patrick White and His Major Works 2
Ⅱ．An Overview of Criticism on Patrick White Abroad 8
Ⅲ．A Summary of Patrick White Study in China 23
Ⅳ．Some Considerations on the Present Study 26
Chapter Two Tragedy Redefined and Its Expression in White's Novels 32
Ⅰ．Tragedy Reconsidered 33
Ⅱ．Modern Tragedy:Inevitable Departure from Its Traditional Form 36
Ⅲ．Tragic Profundity of Patrick White's Fictional World 42
Ⅳ．White's Novels:Lengthened Gap Between Aspiration and Fulfillment 47
Chapter Three The Aunt's Story:Pursuit of Authenticity of Selfhood at the Cost of Normality of Life 52
Ⅰ．Theodora:The Loneliest Individual 53
Ⅱ．Confrontation Between Individual and Society 56
Ⅲ．Modern Odysseus'Vain Search for True Self and Failure to Regain Her"Ithaca" 66
Ⅳ．Modern Tragedy of Existence:Denial of the Authenticity of Self 75
Chapter Four Voss:"The Long Journey Back in Search of Human Status" 82
Ⅰ．Voss:Alienated Superman with All Human Weaknesses 83
Ⅱ．Self-Inflicted Exploration:Clash Between Deity and Humanity 85
Ⅲ．Inevitable Destruction:Tragedy of Human Temperament 93
Ⅳ．Dislocation in Sydney:Dilemma of Human Existence 108
Chapter Five The Vivisector:Tragic Conflict Between Art and Reality 116
Ⅰ．Hurtle:Godlike Vivisector in the Name of Art 118
Ⅱ．Unwelcome Possum and Marginalized Artist 121
Ⅲ．"Man in the Void":Loss of Faith and Identity 127
Ⅳ．Pygmalion Story Rewritten:Superman Will in Vain 131
Ⅴ．Art or Love:Conflicting Relation Between Hurtle and His Women 138
Ⅵ．Phallocentric Superman Craziness to Suppress the Subjectivity of Women 144
Chapter Six The Twyborn Affair:Metamorphoses in Quest of a Fit Place in Society 153
Ⅰ．Eddie:"The Stranger of All Time" 155
Ⅱ．Sex Metamorphosis:Illusion of Genuine Love to Solve Existential Dilemma 157
Ⅲ．Death and Rebirth:Nightmarish Search for the Authenticity of Self 167
Ⅳ．Self-Exile:Positive but Vain Attempt to Adapt to Social Reality 177
Chapter Seven Patrick White's Novels:Modern Tragedy of Human Existence 183
Ⅰ．Tragic Vision:European Influence 184
Ⅱ．Threat to Human Existence from Within and Without 191
Ⅲ．Suffering and Failure:Man of Absurdity and Believer of Action 197
Ⅳ．Loss of Belief and Recovery of Authenticity 203
Chapter Eight Conclusion 211
Bibliography 219