Representation of History in Gao Xingjian's Soul Mountain

Abstract

This study analyzes Gao Xingjian’s Soul Mountain from the perspective of new historicism. Gao Xingjian brings various historical events and give different arguments on this events and episode which distinct from official history of China. Due to the desire of analyzing official history of China Gao Xingjian uses first person narrative and describes important place like Lingshan Mountain and events like 1989 which he travel in his life and studies about the events. More than that he criticizes official history by using his individual perceptions and describes his own understanding. The main concern of this study goes on how Gao Xingjian describes places and events such as Lingshan Mountain, Tameen square, Sanghai city 1989s events and so on and brings people perspective in the novel and fictionalizes Chinese history through the narratives of nameless character.