Emotion and Chineseness: Shen Congwen's Continuation and Rewriting of the Miao Region Construction in A Country Codger's Words of Exposure

Abstract

Abstract: Love stories of the southwestern Miao region is an important subject in Shen Congwen's fictional works, which also contribute to Xiangxi's reputation. The ways in which Shen Congwen's literary construction of the Miao region was informed by pre-modern literary texts, however, are often overlooked. An important connection can be observed between the portrayal of the Miao region in Shen Congwen's fiction and the similar discourse found in A Country Codger's Words of Exposure. Firstly, both works draw upon the knowledge system of the Ming and Qing dynasties regarding the Miao region. Secondly, they both explore the aesthetic construction of the literary space in this region from the perspective of the local people, emphasizing emotions and Chineseness. In Border Town, for instance, Shen Congwen redefines “what China is” during the country's semi-colonial period by delving into the emotions of the Miao region. This creative transformation of traditional literary heritage serves as a critique of imperialism and a call for alternative modernity.

Key words: emotion, Chineseness, A Country Codger's Words of Exposure, Shen Congwen, Miao region construction

Su Wenjian, Chen Zekun. Emotion and Chineseness: Shen Congwen's Continuation and Rewriting of the Miao Region Construction in A Country Codger's Words of Exposure[J]. Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art, 2024, 44(1): 113-125.

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