Title: On the Imagery of “Fanggaotu” and Its Literary Implications in Zhang Wei’s Latest Work the River Bay
Abstract: The novel The River Bay is the latest full-length masterpiece by Zhang Wei, a famous writer and winner of the Mao Dun Literature Award, who has been working on it for five years. In this work, Zhang Wei continues his tradition in his novels of expressing thematic ideas through the creation of imagery. “Fanggaotu” (“Visiting the masters”) is not only a physical imagery, but also a deep symbolic meaning and clue, which plays an important role in shaping the characters, creating a natural context and enhancing aesthetic meaning.