Power Penetration And Resistance In Space

The “flower street” has become a distinctive literary geography in Xu Zechen’s fictional creation,building a unique artistic world.Most of the existing studies on flower street focus on the meaning of narrative function and the metaphorical meaning of spiritual resting,but lack of multiple interpretations of the spatial meanings of flower street.Under the care of modern spatial theory,the dissertation notes that Xu Zechen’s choice and setting of the space of flower street itself already implies a concern for power.Therefore,the thesis focuses on exploring the relationship between the space of flower street and power,in order to gain a deeper understanding of the meaning and value of writing about flower street.The thesis is divided into four parts.The first part compares the construction of the space of flower street from a synchronic and a diachronic viewpoint,while the synchronic construction can more directly reflect the operation of power,and therefore the later part starts from three types of spaces,namely private space,family space and public space,to interpret the power.The second part analyzes the infiltration of male power in the intimate space and the attempts to dismantle it.The production of this intimate space where the prostitutes in flower street are located is actually a product of the infiltration of male power,but the multiple and specific nature of the distinctive settings in it highlights the prostitutes’ active struggle for this space and their attempts to dismantle male power.The third section examines the operation of patriarchal power in the domestic space and the rebellion against it.Patriarchal power rules the domestic space through the multiple compartments of “top-bottom” and “inside-outside”,but children can rebel against patriarchal power by discovering the meaning of the windows of space and breaking the bonds of space.The fourth part unpacks the implementation of political power in public space and efforts to resist its suppression.The enforced establishment of certain public spaces is the result of the implementation of political power,while people can gain dynamic insight into the suppression of power and gain resistance of political power in giving public spaces the possibility of unlimited openness and freedom.In summary,in the writing on flower street,Xu Zechen reveals the penetration of power in space,which is able to operate through specific spaces;at the same time,resistance and power are symbiotic,and people as spatial subjects are able to actively identify,contest and transform space,and show resistance and rebellion against power.Xu Zechen’s literary practice of writing on the flower street critiques these powers that encroach on space and confine individuals,and reveals the power of the individual in breaking through the limitations of space and the shackles of power.