Central Plains Men Chasing Power

Since his first novel Young Builder published in 1978 until his book of Life won the Mao Dun Literature Prize in 2015,Li Peifu has shown his creative achievements with his rich works for more than 30 years.His novels are set in the Central Plains and create a series of unique characters.Previously,the research on the characters of Li Peifu’s novels mainly focused on female images and peasant images,with few male images involved,but among his works,men have always played an important position.Because of this,this is exactly one aspect that cannot be ignored in the research of Li Peifu’s novels.Li Peifu has the most profound understanding of the people in the Central Plains,especially the men climbing from the bottom,and the different changes in the power of the grassroots villages.These male images are worth deeply digging and exploring.The men in Li Peifu’s novels not only have a unique artistic charm,but also are the basis of the theme of power.The interpretation of power is completed through the shaping of the male image.From the little boys who were oppressed in the countryside when they were young,to the young people who entered the city to use their "wisdom",and the men who firmly hold the dominance in the countryside by various means,they are covered with a lingering sense of "power".This paper will focus on the analysis of men in various power relations,trying to comprehensively reveal Li Peifu’s view of the living conditions of male images,and to explore why such characters grew up in the Central Plains.First of all,the relationship between power and male image is explained in the introduction part,and the category of male image mentioned in this paper is clarified.Secondly,this paper will make a detailed literature review on the characters in Li Peifu’s novels,and expounds the reasons and significance of the topic.The main part is divided into three chapters:Based on the text of Li Peifu’s novel,the first chapter divides the male images into rural dictators,nostalgic deserters and emotional losers in different areas and gender under the core theme of power.Rural dictators use their prestige to do what they want in the countryside and enjoy the benefits of power.Most nostalgic deserters are unfairly treated by the countryside and are forced to enter the city to seek development.They hope to change their situation and status.Emotional losers are based on the sexual relationship,and the men can obtain dominance in emotion when they gain power.The second chapter is the in-depth analysis of the reason why the central Plains men chase power.The feudal traditional culture of the Central Plains has a deep foundation,a long history and a prevailing power culture,which laid a deep foundation for the patriarchy.Men can only gain an advantage for reasons other than their own(such as wealth,power,etc).With the development of society,women are becoming more independent and strong.The traditional social situation that men are in a dominant and women in a subordinated condition is breaking.At the same time,with the social transformation,in order to realize their personal value,men began to get rid of the status quo of repression and began to enter the city to realize their personal value,but they are always unable to really integrate into the city.The third chapter explores the value and significance of male image writing.Such men with both urban and rural backgrounds are rooted in the Central Plains.On the one hand,they have the kindness and simplicity of farmers,and on the other hand,they gradually lose themselves in the process of chasing power.Through the different personality changes of men themselves and the irrationality of the grassroots power operation in the central Plains countryside,the power culture is reflected and criticized.Meanwhile,the male image written by Li Peifu is not only an expansion of the traditional male image,but also enriches the image spectrum of men in the Central Plains,which has unique artistic value.