The Research On Alai's Novels Under The Perspective Of Literary Anthropology

In her dissertation,the present author studies Alai's novels from the perspective of literary anthropology,examining the occurrence and development of Alai's embodiment of anthropological views in his fictional writings.Alai has been conscientiously searching for his literary roots in Tibetan-inhabited areas,especially in his hometown,while wondering on the colorful land and observing its legendary people,with an eye of a novelist and that of an anthropologist as well.Inspired by both the magnificent landscape and conspicuous Tibetan characteristics,he collected raw materials from Tibetan folklores,myths and religious legends,and rearranged them in his fictional works.His affectionate descriptions of those staunch rustic men and women betray his own passionate emotions.The dissertation consists of six parts.The present author reveals in the introduction her motivation in the selection of the topic and describes the current status of Alai studies.In the first chapter,she discusses how Alai's novels and short stories may be read as samples or even representative works embodying concepts of literary anthropology,in the milieu of villages inhabited by both Tibetan and Chinese villagers.She explores,in the second chapter,Alai's seminal thinking relating to literary anthropology.She argues that Alai's local-colored narratives may be divided into three periods:the period of apprentice ship(1982-85),the period of style-forming(1990-99),and the period of maturation(2000-14).In the third chapter,the present author,through a close reading,locates anthropological factors relating various aspects of Tibetan culture in Alai's works and analyzes their allegorical power.She contemplates on the anthropological value of Alai's fictional works on the fate of his Tibetan characters in the last chapter.In her conclusion,the present author enumerates Alai's universal significance,his unique mapping of modernity,and,above all,his ultimate concern for the salvation of the human soul admits vices like greediness,cruelty,and corruption.