TheCatcherintheHeterotopias:Rye,PowerandIdentityintheEyesofJ.D.Salinger/LUOYiminWANGXi
Abstract: The contemporary American novelist Jerome David Salinger’sCatcherintheRyetells the story of Holden, a 16-year-old boy who is expelled from school, travels in New York for three days and finally grows up from confusion. This novel is not only about the confusion and growth of teenagers, but also a merciless disclosing and criticism of the American society in the 1950s. This paper purports to apply Michel Foucault’s concept of heterotopia to the analysis of the heterotopias as described inCatcherintheRye, among which the Rye is one of the main, outstanding heterotopias and its mapping and criticism of the power flow in the conventional space of society.This will reveal the normalized transformation of the mainstream discourse power in the conventional space, which makes people lose their subject status and become the object suppressed by power. Holden is able to see the real appearance of the conventional space from the perspective of heterotopia construction, thus completing the transformation of his identity from a man on the edge of the marginal space to a catcher in the heterotopias, namely, the Rye.
Keywords: Heterotopias; J. D. Salinger;TheCatcherintheRye; Power; Identity
RevisitingRussianFormalismfromthePerspectiveofEthicalLiteraryCriticism/CHENLizhen
Abstract: Born around the “October Revolution”, Russian Formalism was revolutionary and progressive as a rebellion against tradition. It took anti-morality as its basic theoretical ground and focused on the issues about the form of literature like literariness and defamiliarization, blazing a new trail for literary criticism. Taking the perspective of Ethical Literary Criticism, this paper analyzes the different ways of how these theoretical terms are presented by Russian Formalists and the evolution of this trend over time. Ethical Literary Criticism can shed new light on the non-ethical standpoint of Russian Formalism and present it in a complete picture with its achievements and problems in the mechanisms of interpreting literary texts.
Keywords: Formalism; ethics; aesthetics; poetic language
OnthePhilosophyandNarrativeofThingsinOvid’sMetamorphosis/JIANGLan
Abstract: In Ovid’sMetamorphosis, metamorphoses, from the perspective of creative aesthetics, is the theme of narration, the basis of which is Pythagoras’ theory of soul transfer. However, from the perspective of reception aesthetics and in the frame narration of the novel, there is also the thing-narrative on the philosophical basis of speculative realism, in addition to the traditional person-narrative. Among them, the thing-narrative is divided into the narrative of spiritualization, mainly including personification and deification, and that of materialization (or objectification). Sometimes, there are complex narratives, such as the narrative of personification or deification and of materialization.
Keywords: metamorphosis; thing; theory of soul transfer; speculative realism; narrative
ThingnessWriting:OnThingnessNarrativeinAnnBeattie’sJanus/GUOYing
Abstract: The subtle and noticeable white bowl in Ann Beattie’sJanusthat is full of unspoken mysteries, is deeply cherished by the protagonist.Readers have experienced the power of “thing” from descriptions of the bowl throughout the whole story.This “thing” tension acts on the narrative progression, propelling the narrative.Ann Beattie’s consistent and intensive descriptions of the bowl highlights the important role of “thing” in the story, which differs from traditional narrative perspective.Janusbecomes a representative work of thingness writing, showing real aesthetic charm.
Keywords:Janus; bowl; thingness; narrative progression; narrative strategy
FortheForgottenPast:OntheNarrativeStrategiesinChacMool/HUQiuxiang
Abstract:ChacMool, written by the Mexican writer Carlos Fuentes, uses dual narrative strategy. In this short story, there are two narrative voices that correspond to the two timelines of the story: one consists in “I” transporting Filiberto’s body back to Mexico City, and the other is Filiberto’s diary about his strange experience with Chac Mool. The dual narrative strategy enables the reader to obtain information from multiple perspectives and to get an appropriate balance between participation and clarity, thus the story becomes more mysterious. Through symbolism, the story reflects the reality that after stepping into the modern society, Mexico is lost in the commercialization and gradually its original essences, revealing the crisis of the national consciousness crisis and the urgency of constructing its self-identity.
Keywords: Carlos Fuentes;ChacMool; dual narrative; symbolism; national consciousness
TheWarArgotundertheRepresentationof“Paradox”:OntheNarrativeStrategyinPandora’sBox/SUNMeng
Abstract: Dazai Osamu’sPandora’sBoxgave up the fixed paradigm of composition and used the first person narrative perspective to portray a teenager character, who was kept out of the war by lung disease and sent to a sanatorium named Kenkodoju. From the theory of narratology and the narrator “I”, as well as elements of archrony narrative, serious themes under such unreasonable paradox and related metaphor are analyzed. In view of this, the research discusses the way Dazai Osamu expressed his understanding of the war and postwar social adaptation as an outsider, and further explores the shackles imprisoning all the readers, including himself under Mikado system.
Keywords:Pandora’sBox; paradox; disease metaphor; wartime community; narrative strategy
BodyNarrativeofAfricanAmericanWomenina“Post-racial”Era:ACaseofToniMorrison’sGodHelptheChild/WANGLili
Abstract: Toni Morrison’s last novelGodHelptheChildfocuses on the invisible violence suffered by African American women and the changes in the body of African American women under the influence of racism, white-dominated culture and patriarchal values. Morrison reveals that African American women’s bodies are exposed to violence and become an object of desire, which is edible or consumable, thus expressing her views on “post-raciality” with a vivid description of woman’s bodies. According to Morrison, “post-racism” is different from racism, because it exists in a hidden, variable and complex form.
Keywords: “post-raciality”; African American women;GodHelptheChild; body narrative
Morrison’sHome:WritingthePoliticsofHomeinanEthnicContext/ZHANGYanLINYuanfu
Abstract: Home is a central theme in Toni Morrison’s novelHome(2012), in which the major characters Lenore and Lily try in vain to seek homes of their own. Their home dreams are shattered as the home spaces they try to locate are furnished with white values which prioritize private possession and patriarchal authority. The disillusionment of their hunt for home implies that white people’s idea of home may not be applicable to those ethnic groups in America. As Morrison’s text dramatizes, an ideal home for the blacks is one that is not confined to self-centered private space. Instead, it is an open ecological community space that attaches importance to freedom, tolerance and sisterhood.
Keywords: Afro-American literature; Toni Morrison;Home; politics of home
LonelyStruggleorMoralNihilism:AnAnalysisof“Sula”fromthePerspectiveofMacIntyre’sCommunitarianism/XINJueruWANGYuqing
Abstract: Sula is the eponymous protagonist of Toni Morrison’sSula. Since the publication of the novel, most scholars have acknowledged the positive power in Sula’s rebellious evil. However, the value of traditional ethical values under Sula’s violent overthrow is under investigated. This paper, based on MacIntyre’s Communitarianism, analyzes Sula from the perspectives of virtue, sense of belonging to the community, as well as unity of life narrative, and explores the value of traditional ethics in modern society. Although Sula endeavors to construct her identity, in the rootless state in which she separates herself from the black community, she loses restraint of herself and tramples on the virtues of her community, making her identity illusory. The extreme individualism of Sula is the epitome of the moral crisis of modernity. Moreover, the rejection of traditional black culture by liberalists, like Sula, will cause greater difficulty to the cultural survival of African Americans.
Keywords:Sula; the character Sula; MacIntyre; Communitarianism
AmericanAutobiographicalComics:AGenrewithaSteadyGrowthinAcademia/MAXiang
Abstract: As comics gradually enter the classrooms of literary criticisms without being despised as thoroughly vulgar and valueless in America, the genre of autobiographical comics has attracted huge critical and academic attention that is not enjoyed by the comics medium as a whole. This is because its cannons, such asMausandFunHome, have serious, socially important themes and sophisticated artistic styles. This essay provides a brief history of the rise and fall of comics in the American society, introduces the key texts of autobiographical comics, and demonstrates the rich potential of studies in this field by analyzing the use of photos inMausandFunHome, as such an analysis challenges and enriches our understanding of authenticity in autobiography.
Keywords: autobiographical comics;Maus;FunHome; authenticity in autobiography
DualReadershipandParodyStrategiesinContemporaryBritishChildren’sPictureBooks/ZHOUJing
Abstract: Picture books are often expected to be read together by children and their parents, so dual readership is one of the most important traits of contemporary picture books for children. Since immense differences exist between children and adults in their cognitive abilities, experience and interests, dual address has been a challenge to contemporary picture books for children. parody, including parody of fairy tales and that of classical paintings, which has been used as an effective strategy in contemporary British picture books to address the dual readers of children and adults, with the aim not only to create the effects of humor and fun but also provide multi-level meanings and interpretation potentials. To make full use of parody for children’s sake, both picture book authors and shared-reading adults can take some measures to better engage child readers in decoding parody.
Keywords: children’s literature; picture books; dual readership; parody
DialogueandBlending:Cixous’AndersstrebenandCross-BoundaryTriponPainting/WANGDi
Abstract: In her literary creation, Cixous took the initiative to blend writing with painting, arguing that the text should not only maintain the characteristics and charm of the narrative of words, but also have the ambition to pursue the aesthetic effect of visual art. Her exploration of the relationship between literature and painting can be described asAndersstreben, on which she realized an experimental cross-boundary trip, in order to further explore the dialogue and mutual proof between literary language narration and painting visual art. From evaluative reflection to creative construction activities, from simple language map to literary virtual painting, Cixous shows her aesthetic ideal of bold innovation from thought to action. Taking the opportunity of crossing the border, Cixous successfully broke the shackles of the unidirectional and flat evaluation criteria, such as pure literary beauty or artistic beauty, and greatly enriched and expanded the expression space of literature and the poetic dimension of painting within the philosophical thinking of life, such as fluidity and pluralism, respecting others and finding impossible possibilities.
Keywords: literary writing; painting art; cross-boundary; Cixous
ASemioticAnalysisoftheEmotionalResonancebetweenDuBellayandMaZhiyuan/WANGTianjiao
Abstract: Although being created during different times and under different cultural backgrounds, the French sonnetHappy,wholikeUlysseby Du Bellay and the Chinese verseTune:Sunnysand-AutumnThoughtsby Ma Zhiyuan, have the same theme about frustration, and the configuration of images and metaphors in the two poems is inseparable from the discussion of the theme of frustration. However, in the process of emotional deduction, the two poems also form different text structure features. The same theme shows different text structures. What are the causes of this situation and what principles can be used to interpret it effectively? On this account, the theory of narrative semiotics, set up by A. J. Greimas, is a new and valuable method. Semiotics studies the relationships between all kinds of signs, on which meaning depends. With the help of semiotics, this article tries to do a parallel research on these two poetry texts. It explores the common ground of the two texts, especially in the way of image coding and narrative strategy. On the other hand, it would also point out the significant difference in structural creation, namely, the former poem reflects the distinctive music characteristics, while the latter shows an emotional expression of painting.
Keywords: semiotics; description; figure; narration; modality
Japan’sSadakanNo.8,ChineseAudienceandChineseLiteratureintheEarlyReformandOpening-up/WANGRuifang
Abstract: Yamazaki Tomoko’sSadakanNo.8 and the narratives of Karayuki-san are of great significance in Japanese anti-war or war reflection literature after World War II. Shortly after the normalization of diplomatic relations between China and Japan in 1972,SadakanNo.8, adapted from the novel, was released in various parts of China, which caused a great sensation. It not only made Chinese audiences understand the ugliness of Japanese militarism, but also the introspection of Japanese people with conscience to the war, and the beauty of human nature and human feelings of Karayuki-san who was damaged and insulted. In the early reform and opening-up,SadakanNo.8 played a great role in promoting the evolution of the Japanese view of the Chinese people and the transformation of the literary interest of the readers, as well as the transformation of the Chinese literature from the social political theme to that of human nature, to some extent.
Keywords: Chinese-Japanese literary relationship; Yamazaki Tomoko;SadakanNo.8