A study of the Novels by Zhang Rang

• Main Author: 林耘安
• Other Authors: 余崇生
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2011
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/43860076305785888463

碩士 === 臺北市立教育大學 === 中國語文學系碩士班 === 99 === Zhang Rang is an important contemporary writer of Taiwan living in American. Her works mainly consist of novels and prose. However the majority of the literary circles or readers place more attention to her prose and neglect her works in novels. The study aims to discuss the theme content, figure depiction and artistic presentation of Zhang Rang’s novel collection, in order to induce the features and value of her novels. The study selects five novels of Zhang Rang as the research objects and integrates with academic review for exploration through direct conversation with the text. The study first gets insight to Zhang Rang’s upbringing background, creation perspective, creation process, and positioning in the literary circles. It is discovered that her special Chinese-Western background has effects on the various aspects of her novels. The themes of her novels include self-consciousness of women, love, family, and humanity, highlighting the real and complex aspect of people in real life. The depiction of the figures emphasize on portraying the emptiness, depression and vulnerability of the average people hidden under their appearance. She also applies meticulous techniques to describe the static and dynamic behavior of the figures as well as exhibiting the characteristics and thoughts of the figures. With regards to artistic content, Zhang Rang prefers to show her restrained expression using third-person narrative point of view with a number of unique description in plots and presentation practices. We discover from the analysis of Zhang Rang’s novels that cross-cultural collision and keen observation have helped Zhang Rang to gradually depart from early Zhang Ailing style and created her own path. She has brought different horizons to the readers while she serves as the link between past and future among Taiwanese writers. The profound observation of her works for the average people also exhibits care for humanity.