Thesis: Through the analysis of Mu Shiying’s “Five in a Nightclub”, and Hao Jingfang’s “Folding Beijing”, one can see how the writer’s use of cross-cultural literary devices, and accurate portrayals of social landscapes and anxieties come together to make both works essential to the study of Modern Chinese Literature. 1) Both Mu Shiying and Hao Jingfang utilize the literary device of repetition throughout the respective works. The use of repetition has the effect of reinforcing the themes that underlie the text. - Throughout “Folding Beijing”, Lao Dao is extremely aware of time – both in his awareness of the amount of time that has passed, as well as the amount of time necessary to complete tasks. Hao makes Lao Dao’s “fixation” apparent through …show more content…
However, this new world is built upon unjust social hierarchies and inequality. - Daisy Huang’s obsession over aging and its perceived disastrous effects on her beauty, personifies the conflict between old and new, as she equates the aging process with destruction and disposal, and views herself as increasingly worthless with each day that passes; the older she gets, the more worthless she feels. 3) Modernity is often associated with feelings of anxiety that stem from the never-ending waves of change that occurs throughout society. Individuals often experience feelings of isolation, disorientation, and overall sense of being “lost in life”; these feelings are explored in both the short stories of Mu Shiying and Hao Jingfang. - Near the end of the story, the five characters come to realize that “they were in the clutches of a strange blend of fear and loneliness” (Mu 55). La Dao experiences extreme isolation and disorientation while in the First Space, and he lives a life that is confined within the boundaries and limitations of the Third Space, these feelings of entrapment reach a climax when the earth literally swallows and crushes him during the Change (Hao