The Light of Ideals and an Ambitious Regional “Epic”—On Above Baiyangdian Lake by Guan Renshan

• Published in: Frontiers of literary studies in China Vol. 17; no. 2; pp. 156 - 163
• Main Author: LI Hao
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Higher Education Press 2023
• Subjects: Guan Renshan, Above Baiyangdian Lake, realism, regional epic
• ISSN: 1673-7318; 1673-7423
• DOI: 10.3868/s010-011-023-0014-0

Above Baiyangdian Lake is another full-length realistic novel written by Guan Renshan after The Maihe River. In this work, Guan Renshan goes beyond traditional rural writing and artistically narrates the grand landscape of Baiyangdian New Area and the changes of people’s fate during its construction. With Guan’s refined and mature narrative techniques, the novel clearly shows his ambition to present a “regional epic.” This paper delves into the fictional text and analyzes the structuring method of Above Baiyangdian Lake from multiple perspectives such as its character shaping with historical correspondence, and narrative structure, skills, and style, aiming to provide an approach to interpret the ideological schema of Above Baiyangdian Lake.