A critical study of Chi Li's urban fiction

Abstract

The dissertation attempted to study the urban fiction of Chi Li (1957- ) through a detail analysis of her texts. Being one of the leaders of Chinese New Realism, Chi Li always tried to write about the real life and living conditions of urban people, which actually expressed her understanding and interpretation of city. This thesis would like to discuss the images of cities in Chi Li’s writings, her feelings on urbanization, and also try to evaluate her contribution to the evolution of contemporary Chinese urban fiction. The thesis consisted of five chapters. Chapter one clarified the basic concepts of urban literature and reviewed the development of Chinese urban fiction. Besides, previous research works on Chi Li were briefly introduced. The second chapter studied the urban-rural relations in Chi Li’s textual depiction. City and countryside, bearing two different characteristics of social life and culture, had met and influenced each other in a large scale twice after The thesis consisted of five chapters. Chapter one clarified the basic concepts of urban literature and reviewed the development of Chinese urban fiction. Besides, previous research works on Chi Li were briefly introduced. The second chapter studied the urban-rural relations in Chi Li’s textual depiction. City and countryside, bearing two different characteristics of social life and culture, had met and influenced each other in a large scale twice after