Wandering And Artistry In ZHANG Wei’s Novels

Images of "wandering" and "artistry" are repeatedly seen in ZHANG Wei’s novels, especially in the serial novel You Are in the Highland. The hero and his friends wander endlessly, which runs through the ten books. The author also concentrates on artistry and craftsman and the descriptions about them are spread in the novel which contains4.5million words. Generally, writers have their own images that are keys to their art labyrinths. There is no doubt that "wandering" and "artistry" are such keys to ZHANG Wei’s novels.Chapter one discusses "highland" portrayed in the novel."Highland" is the core of the novel. In the themes of childhood, clan, conscience and destination, ZHANG Wei explains "highland":"the practical and spiritual levels that can be achieved by the individual’s sheer tenacity and great ambition." But this "highland" is not transcendental and it is limited by the author’s realm of thought.Chapter two analyzes "wandering"."Wandering" is a way suggested by the author to the "highland". The hero NING Qie and his friends try to approach the "highland" by wandering. Firstly,"wandering" is escaping from being trapped; secondly, it is resisting being expelled."Highland" imagined by ZHANG Wei is not transcendental, so arriving at such "highland" is a sort of temporary spiritual comfort. After all,"wandering" is an outward solution which can not lead to the real "highland".Chapter three concentrates on "artistry", the other way suggested by the author to the "highland". People can live by artistry and also can lead a free and unfettered life by artistry. Craftsmen dwelling in artistry have already arrived at ZHANG Wei’s "highland", but are still on the road to the transcendental "highland". Due to their spiritual transformation, the craftsmen lead a free and unfettered life. They turned the way to "highland" inwardly.Chapter four discusses the state that "wandering" and "artistry" lead to:wandering in artistry, also called artistic life. This is the best condition of ZHANG Wei’s "highland". In "wandering" and "artistry", people’s perspectives on the world change (spiritual transformation), they part from the care of the world and accomplish internal transcendence. Through such repeated practices, one can achieve artistic life.Chapter five discusses "highland" and the means to it--"wandering" and "artistry" ZHANG Wei’s imagination is placed in the context of Chinese and western literature. By comparison, the "highland" and the means "wandering" and "artistry" are found not transcendental, which is due to the author’s limitation of horizon.