On the Characterization of Gu Manlu in Affair of Half a Lifetime
Abstract:Zhang Ailing's novel Affair of Half a Lifetime shows us two tragedies: one is the sad romance between Gu Manzhen and Shen Shijun, the other is the tragedy of Gu Manlu’s life. In the novel, Gu Manlu’s benighted and abnormal behaviors, ranging from sacrificing herself to maintain the family to letting her young sister become the victim, reflects that she had gradually banished family love and true feelings from her mind, and fallen into the deplorable plight of life where there were only her distorted humanity and broken soul left. Manlu’s conversion from goodness to evil was her helpless vent in the face of the reality in life, and at the same time it was also the realistic depiction of the author’s detached attitude of life. Through the characterization of the image of Gu Manlu, this novel uncovers the survival tragedy of the female, realizing the transcendence of humanity.
Key words: Affair of Half a Lifetime; Gu Manlu; the image of the character
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