A Comparative Study of the Language of Avant-Garde Dramas from the Perspective of Defamiliarization: Taking ‘Secret Love of Peach Blossom’ and ‘Love of Rhinoceros’ as Examples

College of Liberal Arts, Guangdong University of Education, Guangzhou, 510000 Guangdong, China

^* Corresponding author: yepeiying@lsu.edu.gn

Abstract

In the diversified landscape of contemporary drama, avant-garde theater challenges tradition through innovative linguistic expressions. While Shklovsky’s defamiliarization theory is frequently applied to analyze avant-garde language experimentation, systematic comparative studies of multiple representative works across lexical, syntactic, and rhetorical dimensions remain scarce. This study employs textual analysis and comparative methods to examine two seminal plays — ‘Secret Love in Peach Blossom’ and ‘Love of Rhinoceros’—exploring their similarities and differences in defamiliarization strategies across vocabulary usage, sentence structures, and rhetorical devices. The analysis reveals that both works demonstrate defamiliarization characteristics across these three linguistic layers, simultaneously showcasing linguistic innovation diversity while revealing shared strategic commonalities. The findings illuminate defamiliarization’s catalytic role in language innovation, offering fresh perspectives for studying theatrical text evolution. This comparative approach not only enriches understanding of avant-garde dramaturgy but also contributes to sustainable development within contemporary theater practice. By systematizing cross-textual analysis of defamiliarization techniques, the research provides a methodological framework for future investigations into experimental theater language.