The art of polyphony: A study of fiction by Wong Bik Wan (1961-- ) (Chinese text).

摘要

Wong Bik Wan (1961-- ) is one of the most important writers of contemporary Hong Kong Literature. She began her writing career in 1984 and has been regarded as a prominent young novelist of the 80's and 90's. Her major works are short stories and the novel, and she has written extensively in the short essay and column form. Wong is renowned for her exploration into the sufferings of the individual, as well as commitment to broad issues like the representation of women, the city and history. Wong's literary language is expressive in style, and is appreciated for its "aesthetic of violence".; The aim of the present thesis is to study and evaluate Wong's works from 1984 to 2004 in a comprehensive perspective, investigating their artistic qualities and principles, and formulating a conclusion of Wong's achievements up to the present stage.; The methodology of this thesis is based on the "Theory of the Polyphonic Novel" advanced by the twentieth century Russian Literary Theorist Mikhail Mikhailovich Bakhtin. The theory is adopted to analyze the "polyphonic" features of Wong's works, and to illuminate their "dialogic", "equalizing" and "liberating" qualities. As an extension of Bakhtin's theory, this thesis will also employ a diachronic co-reading of Wong's works, and examine the possible "dialogic" relationships between Wong's fictional and nonfictional texts.; The thesis will be divided into six chapters. In Chapter One, a brief introduction will be given on the background, scope, objectives and methodology of this study. Chapter Two will be a detailed exposition of the "Theory of the Polyphonic Novel" according to its four main fields of investigation, namely "the hero", "the idea", "characteristics of genre" and "discourse". Chapter Three will be an overview of the existing literature on the study of Wong's works. Problems and controversies will be identified, and means of tackling provided by the "Theory of the Polyphonic Novel" will be suggested. Chapter Four will give a bird's-eye review of Wong's works in the early and middle period between 1984 and 1997, with analyses of Qihou (Hereafter), Wenrou yu Baolie (Tenderness and Violence) and Qizhong Jingmo (Seven Kinds of Silence), examining the formation of emerging "polyphonic" and "dialogic" qualities. Chapter Five will be a full study of Wong's mature "polyphonic" works, with Lienu Tu (Portraits of Women), Meixingzhe (The Seductive Walker), Xue Kamen (Carmen in Blood) and Wuai Ji (Loveless Story) as examples. In Chapter Six, conclusions will be made on Wong's artistic achievements as a writer who pursues personal liberation and humanistic concerns in a "polyphonic" spirit.