Hallucinatory Realism:Mo Yan’s Fictional World

In his dissertation Hallucinatory Realism:Mo Yan’s Fictional World, the present author examines aspects of "hallucinatory realism", Mo Yan’s novel style designated by Nobel Prize Committee. He studies Mo Yan’s description of psychological reality (dreams, hallucinations, unconsciousness, free association, etc.), the juxtaposition of beauty and ugliness in aesthetic paradigm, the utilization of dialectics, and sophistry in philosophical discourse.While subverting the stale narrative style, Mo Yan the avant-gardist restores as much as possible constructive forces of recent Chinese history in his self-labeled "Northeast Gaomi Township" works. On one hand, Mo Yan’s novel style originates from the cultural context of Chinese modernity and powerful rebellion against socialist realism; on the other hand, it is formed under the influence of Western literary trends, such as modernism and magic realism.Mo Yan’s works are highly experimental in plot and structure and narrative discourse. His multi-voiced narrative perspectives contribute greatly to the art of fiction. Moreover, his multidimensional and multi-lateral explorations for Chinese history and reality are conveyed in most expressive ways, matching his narrative style.Mo Yan’s way of characterization is metaphysical, for he "regards good guys as bad ones, bad guys as good ones, and himself as a sinner". His paradoxical characters deconstruct the traditional stereotypical black-and-white type of characterization.The present author tries to prove that Mo Yan is a hallucinatory realist, instead of a magic realist, clarifying a long-standing hearsay of "Mo Yan the magic realist" among many critics. He argues that Mo Yan’s hallucinatory realism is of great significance to contemporary Chinese literature and world literature as well.