The Writing Of Space-related Anxieties

Bai Xianyong is a writer with sharp space-time consciousness. He not only describe the individual life’s tragic experience which derives from the reality of time pass-by, but also show an deep emphasis on the relationship between the individual and the space, concern for the pain which living space brings to individual because of the influence of his own real life experience. In Bai Xianyong’s novels, Space-related anxieties is a main characteristic in characters’inner world, almost every one in Bai’s novel has this intricate confusions. And Space-related anxieties also is a central theme of Bai’s fictions that we can find from early to late works. In this article, from the angle of the key word space, based on the theory of space narrative, cultural geography and the Michel Foucault’s discussion about the relationship between space and power, we explore the characterization and the narrative strategy of the Space-related anxieties in Bai Xianyong’s novels, proclaim the reason why there always have a sympathetic atmosphere in Bai’s creations. It can also help us have a deep understanding on Bai’s creative ideas which the existence and humanity have always been his concerns.This article firstly make a brief introduce about the current situation of the study of Bai Xianyong’s novels, put forward the importance of the research on spatiality in Bai’s novels. Then, this literature defines the specific connotation of the Space-related anxieties. And the main body of this article divides into three chapters.The first chapter analyzes the reason and the feature of space-related anxieties in Bai Xianyong’s novels, then point out that the real life experience of confinement in Bai’s childhood and the constantly migration in his whole life made the space anxieties became the inextricable knot in Bai’s mind. This anxieties of space have a great influence on Bai’s novels, which make up a common feature of mental space among the traditional female, the alien and sin son. And the features of the space anxieties mainly characterized by two aspects:the anxieties about be trapped in a space, the anxieties about being insulated to some space.The second chapter explains the creative concept and the creative tendency of Bai Xianyong’s writing about space anxieties. Thinking about the uniqueness of the space anxieties and discussing the concept of theme in Bai’s novels is an effective way for us to understand the whole conception and the true essential value of Bai’s creation. The space anxieties is not only widely exist in almost each work of Bai’s fictions, but also always focus on the theme of "homeland" and showing an obvious tendency of existentialism. All of these reflect Bai’s sympathy of his view of life and manifest the awareness of humanitarian in Bai’s creation.The third chapter concentrates on the narrative strategy about Bai Xianyong’s narration of space anxieties. In the one hand, space is the reason caused the space anxieties, in the another hand, space is the manifestation mode of space anxieties narration, which Bai Xianyong made a series of space become significant details through the symbolized way. In addition, the elaborate special form of Bai’s fictions also makes the space anxieties has been further emphasized and highlighted.Through above-mentioned detailed analysis of the two newly created short stories Danny Boy and Tea for Two, the conclusion try to points out that the theme of space anxieties has been broke through in Bai Xianyong’s creation of old age. The long-term difficulties of life and theme in Bai’s novels finally be resolved:absolutely this is the best answer we waiting for.