| Acknowledgements | 第5-6页 |
| 中文摘要 | 第6-8页 |
| Abstract | 第8-9页 |
| 1. Introduction | 第11-21页 |
| 1.1 Introduction to George Meredith | 第11-15页 |
| 1.2 Literature review | 第15-20页 |
| 1.3 Focus and structure of the thesis | 第20-21页 |
| 2. Human Folly as the "Natural Prey" of Comedy | 第21-33页 |
| 2.1 Self-centeredness | 第22-27页 |
| 2.1.1 Self-centeredness in gender relations | 第22-24页 |
| 2.1.2 Self-centeredness in family relations | 第24-26页 |
| 2.1.3 Self-centeredness in social relations | 第26-27页 |
| 2.2 Lack of integrity | 第27-33页 |
| 2.2.1 Duplicity | 第28-30页 |
| 2.2.2 Incoherence | 第30-33页 |
| 3. "The Play of the Intellect" as the Primary Weapon of Comedy | 第33-44页 |
| 3.1 Laugher as "a harmless wine" to sobriety | 第33-36页 |
| 3.2 Laughter of sympathy | 第36-38页 |
| 3.3 Laughter of thought | 第38-44页 |
| 4. Comic Perception as Vital to the Success of Comedy | 第44-53页 |
| 4.1 Knowledge of the actual world as prerequisite | 第44-48页 |
| 4.1.1 Enabling writer to produce a good comedy | 第45-46页 |
| 4.1.2 Helping readers to gain "high fellowship" | 第46-48页 |
| 4.2 Representation of the actual world in comedy | 第48-53页 |
| 4.2.1 Through comic contrasts | 第48-49页 |
| 4.2.2 Through the implied author | 第49-53页 |
| 5. Conclusion | 第53-56页 |
| Bibliography | 第56-58页 |
