The Western Image Of Xu Xu’s Novels

This paper takes the perspective of comparative literary iconography to Xu xu’s novels,discusses the construction of Western images in novels,and explores the self-image after Western images.This article consists of three parts,namely the introduction,the main text,and the conclusion.The western images in Xu xu’s novel were generated in a unique historical context.After the Opium War,communication channels between China and the West were opened,leading to a flow of western objiects,ideas,systems,etc.into China.As a result of the collision between Chinese society was shattered,and a new Western imperssion was formed.This western impression was expressed through the hands of Chinese writers of that time as literary images in their works.Such Western images were subjiective perceptions of the writers,with distinct political and cultural values,and were characterized by fragmentation.The formation of western images in Xu Xu’s novels is closely related to Xu Xu’s life experiences and individual experiences.During his studies at Peking University,Xu xu developed a strong interest in western culture and gained a basic understanding through extensive reading of western books.In 1936,Xu Xu went to study in France and personally witnessed the social reality of the west and experienced western social life,leading to a deeper understanding and reflection on the west.Xu Xu was deeply influenced by French literature,and this influence also manifested in his imagination of the west.Firstly,Maupassant’s travel novels inspired Xu Xu to use the same pattern to imagine exotic cultures.Secondly,when constructing the image of western people,Xu xu applied character models from French literature.Finally,due to the influence of French Romantic literature,Xu Xu’s western imagination in his works presented romantic,mystical,and fantasy overall traits.In this article,three types of Western images in Xu xu’s novels were discussed—Western space images,Western spy images,and Western material images.Western space as a regional sense has the characteristics of utopianism,and exists in the text as an ideal township;The image of Western spies mainly exists in the text of the novel "Wind Xiaoxiao",in which the image of Western spies appears as a positive image,in sharp contrast to the negative image of Japanese spies;The West as a colonizer mainly appears in the novel through material details,cultural concepts,etc.,and such images imply the deep cultural anxiety of the image constructor.The construction of Western images is a way of self-expression,and many of Xu’s novels have common character relationship patterns and plot patterns,which implicit in these modes are the intention to construct a certain self-image through imagination in the West,including the construction of a strong Chinese national image and a charming traditional cultural image.