Presented by Feifei Zhan (SOAS)

The intricacies of the tale of Narcissus have inspired literary adaptation and appropriation in diverse languages and cultures. Among them is Zhang Yueran’s Narcissus Went with Carp, which transplants the story to the contending relationship between Man and Jing, a pair of Chinese mother and daughter. In addition to using Narcissus as an archetype, Zhang is also keen on collaging plots from other Western stories, as we can see threads of Cinderella, Snow White, and Oedipus in the narrative.

Sourcing the mythologies and tales that all interestingly touch on gender, identity and gaze, Zhang has created a literary fantasy that projects how Chinese women are looked at—both by themselves and by others—in the context of economic growth and consumerism after Reform and Opening Up. Drawing on theories of gaze by Mary Ann Doane and Laura Mulvey, this paper will look at the gaze between mother and daughter in Narcissus Went with Carp and investigate how female gaze, though inhabited by dilemmas, could produce opportunities for a female identity that transgresses the mirrored masculine ontology.

This is a free event and open to all, registration is not required.