| Acknowledgements | 第1-6页 |
| Abstract | 第6-8页 |
| 摘要 | 第8-15页 |
| Chapter One Introduction | 第15-21页 |
| ·Introduction | 第15-16页 |
| ·The rationale of the study | 第16-18页 |
| ·The objectives of the study | 第18-19页 |
| ·Research methodology and data collection | 第19页 |
| ·Organization of the study | 第19-21页 |
| Chapter Two Literature Review | 第21-36页 |
| ·Introduction | 第21-22页 |
| ·The definition of the relationship between mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law | 第22-23页 |
| ·The definition of "mother-in-law" | 第22页 |
| ·The definition of "daughter-in-law" | 第22页 |
| ·The definition of "the relationship between mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law" | 第22-23页 |
| ·The background of Chinese relationship between mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law | 第23-24页 |
| ·Research perspectives | 第24-33页 |
| ·The studies from literary perspective | 第25-29页 |
| ·The studies from psychological perspective | 第29页 |
| ·The studies from social perspective | 第29-31页 |
| ·The studies from ethical perspective | 第31-32页 |
| ·The studies from anthropological perspective | 第32-33页 |
| ·Problems with the existing studies | 第33-34页 |
| ·The perspective of the present study | 第34-35页 |
| ·Summary | 第35-36页 |
| Chapter Three Theoretical Framework of the Study | 第36-45页 |
| ·Introduction | 第36页 |
| ·Politeness and face theory | 第36-37页 |
| ·Brown and Levinson's face theory | 第37-40页 |
| ·The notion of "face | 第37-38页 |
| ·Face-threatening acts (FTAs) | 第38-39页 |
| ·Politeness strategy | 第39-40页 |
| ·Off-record politeness strategy | 第40-42页 |
| ·Positive politeness strategy | 第42-44页 |
| ·The framework of the present thesis | 第44页 |
| ·Summary | 第44-45页 |
| Chapter Four the Linguistic Characteristics | 第45-62页 |
| ·Introduction | 第45页 |
| ·Linguistic devices used in the data | 第45-47页 |
| ·Off-record politeness strategies taken for avoiding FTAs | 第47-52页 |
| ·Giving hints or association clues | 第47-48页 |
| ·Using metaphors | 第48-49页 |
| ·Understatement and overstatement | 第49-50页 |
| ·Being ironic | 第50-51页 |
| ·Using rhetorical questions | 第51-52页 |
| ·Some positive politeness strategies taken for positive face | 第52-61页 |
| ·Avoiding disagreement and seeking agreement | 第53-54页 |
| ·Showing notice, interest, attention, ect | 第54-55页 |
| ·Expressing agreement | 第55-56页 |
| ·Expressing the Speaker's interest or approval to the Hearer | 第56-58页 |
| ·Using in-group marker to include both the Speaker and the Hearer in the activity | 第58-59页 |
| ·Giving gifts to the Hearer | 第59-61页 |
| ·Summary | 第61-62页 |
| Chapter Five Results and Discussion | 第62-68页 |
| ·Introduction | 第62页 |
| ·The similarities of the linguistic characteristics and reasons | 第62-64页 |
| ·The similarities | 第63页 |
| ·The reasons | 第63-64页 |
| ·The differences of the linguistic characteristics and reasons | 第64-67页 |
| ·The differences | 第64-65页 |
| ·The reasons | 第65-67页 |
| ·Summary | 第67-68页 |
| Chapter Six Conclusion | 第68-72页 |
| ·Introduction | 第68页 |
| ·Major findings in this thesis | 第68-69页 |
| ·Implications | 第69页 |
| ·Limitations | 第69-70页 |
| ·Suggestions for further study | 第70-72页 |
| Bibliography | 第72-76页 |
| Appendix | 第76-79页 |
| Publication | 第79-80页 |
| 个人简况及联系方式 | 第80-82页 |
