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The Symbolized Countryfolks in Shen Congwen’s The Border Town






Author(s)

Liang Ying

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DOI:10.17265/2328-2177/2015.05.004

Beijing Foreign Studies University, Beijing, China

Shen Congwen is one of China’s most renowned modern writers. The Border Town portrays the people and customs of a corner of Shangri-la, and humanizes, if not romanticizes nature and the country folk who are living in. The Border Town is perfect not only in subject, but in style and form as well. The complex theme of the novel is depicted through the methods of symbolism and contrast. The current study focuses on how Shen made use of symbolism to portray the country folk. Although Shen used various kinds of symbolisms, natural, sexual, religious, celestial, and political, only the first two kinds will be dealt with in this paper. Symbols discussed in the paper include Cui Cui, Grandpa, the Border Town, river, water, ferry, bamboo, dreams, pagoda, animals, flowers, dreams, colors, etc.

symbol, country folk, nature, simplicity, vitality