Chinese Journal of Literary Criticism

No.1, 2018

 

The Choice and Commitment in the Transitional Era: On Fan Xiaoqing’s Guixiang Street

 (Abstract)

 

He Yanhong

 

Fan Xiaoqing’s Guixiang Street, with its realistic spirit and outsider’s narrative mode, tells the story of Lin Youhong, the director of the urban neighborhood committee of Guixiang Street. The storyline focuses on her interactions with residents as well as her love and marriage. On the one hand, with a strong sense of responsibility, she is engaged and works hard to solve problems in urban transformation. While caring for the livelihood of the people, she tries to enlighten the residents by following the enlightenment spiritual tradition.

 On the other hand, the novel describes Lin’s independent personality in the marriage and gender relationship, and shaped a distinctive and unique female image among contemporary Chinese women’s literary genealogy. It not only shows the valuable choice and commitment in realistic spirit during the transitional period but also represents the important achievement of realistic women’s literature.