The Subject of Death in Yu Hua’s Novel “Cries in the Drizzle”

Abstract

The paper centers on the problem of conceptualization of death in the novel “Cries in the Drizzle” (Zai xi yu zhong huhan) by modern Chinese writer Yu Hua. The analysis of the phenomenon is carried out from a triple perspective: in terms of influence of traditional Chinese worldview, Western philosophies and totalitarian (maoist) discourse on the views of Yu Hua. The author comes to a conclusion that the simultaneous search for a kind of existential truth, historical authenticity and attempts to re-think Chinese tradition lie at the core of the writer’s art world.