Reflection and Refraction: On the Textual Value of Mirrors in Eileen Chang’s Novels

¹ College of Liberal Arts, Anhui University, Hefei, Anhui, 230031, China
² College of Foreign Languages, Guangdong Polytechnic Normal University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510450, China

^* Corresponding author: isabella@uok.edu.gr

Abstract

This paper explores the influence of mirrors in Eileen Chang’s novels on the formation of character images, the development of emotions in the texts, and the themes of Zhang Ailing’s novels through the interpretation of her works. By closely reading Eileen Chang’s novels, this paper reveals the textual value of mirrors in Eileen Chang’s creations: firstly, mirrors serve as a tool for self-image perception, revealing the characters’ identity dilemmas; secondly, as a medium for emotions of the essays, mirrors reflect the game of power in the relationship between the two genders; thirdly, mirrors are the carriers of allusions to the transmutation of society, refracting the collision of traditional society and the wave of modernisation. With a cold and detached writing style, Zhang Ailing sublimates mirrors from concrete objects into philosophical symbols, enriching and deepening the thematic connotations of the novel texts, and constituting the unique artistic charm of her works, providing a unique perspective for our study of the period of historical and cultural transformation in China.