An Imaginary Place:the Transformation of Fei Ming's Writing Style in the 1940s
Fei Ming's novel After Mr.Maybe Flew in an Aeroplane focuses on social phenomena of wartime China.It marks a dramatic shift in the author's ideological belief and the stylistic characteristics of his works.In terms of local image construction,the spatial field of the novel has evolved from"Huang-mei County"to"Rural China";in terms of narrative perspective,the narrator's identity and circumstances have transitioned from being a"stranger"to a"returnee".The novel is inspired by the scholar's self-exami-nation and adjustment in the face of confusion and anxiety,and involves his political thoughts on the re-naissance of national spirit and China's reconstruction.The whole novel is a political imagination of mod-ern intellectuals motivated by their salvation sentiment.