A Comparative Study Of Li Shang-yin And Franz Kafka

Two writers from respective countries of east and west and their literary works andphenomenon that don’t exist actually contact are studied by parallel comparative literature in thisarticle. The comparability is based on the feature of common regularity of literature: Literature isactually human science, and human mind is interlinked with literature. Li Shang-yin and Kafkahave similar inner worlds. They also have the similarities in personality, characteristic, emotionalexperience and common literature theme. The study starts with the specific works in this article,and parallel study is in four aspects: loneliness, absurd literature theme, artistic techniques ofsymbol and paradox, integration of truth and fantasy.Loneliness is the theme of many works of Li Shang-yin and Kafka. Both of them arelooking for and releasing themselves while expressing the loneliness. Loneliness of LiShang-yin is internal, that is a kind of meditation to the life and deep sorrow to self-life states ofhim. Loneliness of Kafka is external that comes from group relations, it is strange and hostilebetween himself and others. And the same causing loneliness is the alienation of environmentof times and society.Artistic techniques of symbol are used in the works of both. The relationship between therestrained personalities of two writers and creation of symbol and the different contents impliedby symbol because of the different characteristic of ethnic, social and traditional culture areprobed in this article. Symbol of Li Shang-yin is expressed as an experience or a specialemotion. But the symbol of Kafka is mostly expressed as an abstract philosophy. Meanings ofsymbol and characteristic of polysemy are shown in the works of two writers.Artistic techniques of paradox are often used in the works of both Kafka and Li Shang-yin toexpress the tragedy of life and absurdity of living condition. It is same that both of them reflectthe paradox by contradictions of language and contrasts of sorrow and joy. The difference isthat Li’s paradox often leads to helpless and sadness, while that of Kafka is always funny andsarcastic. His tragedy is shown as comedy.Both Li Shang-yin and Kafka are good at converging dream into reality that make peopleunderstand reality by dream. It is identical that they don’t emphasize concrete content of dream.Both of them open out scene of dream by space-time conversion. But their differentcharacteristics exist: legends and allusions are always used by Li Shang-yin, while Kafka createatmosphere of dream by illogicality of figure, event and plot.Two writers are different in experience, but they are alike in spirit in writing on their own minds. It makes their works have similar experience of aesthetic. The difference of two writersis obvious because of the difference of environment of times, literature, language and forms ofexpression. It is the difference of cultural psychology and aesthetic taste spread out by commonliterary theme.