In Han Song’s The Subway, a plethora of juxtapositions between East and West, tradition and modernity, science and the zhiguai tradition are employed, thereby crafting both a ghostly “Illusory Realms” and a futuristic “Sci-Fi Realms.”This paper delves into the imagery of the “in-between state” within The Subway and the resultant “uncertainty” constructed by the “strangeness.” It observes how Han Song manipulates the dialectical nature of tradition/modernity, material/spiritual, and empirical/metaphysical realms to shape a multifaceted self-image amidst the transitions of post-industrial, post-capitalist, and post-socialism ideologiesdepicted in The Subway.
Primarily, this paper examines the “politics of imagination,” elucidating how Han Song defines the mystery of “ghosts” as the source of Chinese cultural imagination. Simultaneously, it explores the zhiguai thinking and Eastern perspectives on bodily transformations depicted in The Subway, investigating how Han Song engenders a sense of alienation in science fiction while highlighting the impact of “uncertainty.” Secondly, it analyzes the narrative tenses and shifts in temporal perception within The Subway, examining how the text reflects upon China’s century-long process of modernization through its blending of time and space. Lastly, the paper endeavors to elucidate the portrayal of bodily transformations in The Subway, as well as resistance against capitalism and Western ideological control.
Primarily, this paper examines the “politics of imagination,” elucidating how Han Song defines the mystery of “ghosts” as the source of Chinese cultural imagination. Simultaneously, it explores the zhiguai thinking and Eastern perspectives on bodily transformations depicted in The Subway, investigating how Han Song engenders a sense of alienation in science fiction while highlighting the impact of “uncertainty.” Secondly, it analyzes the narrative tenses and shifts in temporal perception within The Subway, examining how the text reflects upon China’s century-long process of modernization through its blending of time and space. Lastly, the paper endeavors to elucidate the portrayal of bodily transformations in The Subway, as well as resistance against capitalism and Western ideological control.
Page：
173-214
Keywords：
Han Song, The Subway, ghostly, zhiguai, Chinese new science fiction
BULLETIN OF THE DEPARTMENT OF CHINESE LITERATURE NATIONAL CHENGCHI UNIVERSITY NO.43
