Can Xue's spatialized vision: Buildings and the exploration of the soul.

摘要

This thesis centers on the question of how the representation of buildings opens up possibilities for investigating Can Xue's fiction as literature with universal concern about humanity. It explores the significance of Can Xue's employment of buildings in her works from three aspects. The first aspect regards buildings as the reflection of the structure of the soul. The second aspect situates buildings in their relationship with residents and explores the connection between the buildings/residents relationship and that of body and soul. The last aspect sees buildings as the microcosmic projection of Can Xue's fictional space. This study places textual constitution at the center of investigation through the approach of close textual analysis. It marks an attempt to reconsider the method of literary investigation in the field of modern Chinese literature which has been dominated by cultural and historical approaches.