An Analysis of the Spatial Structure of “Lao Can Travels” from the Perspective of Spatial Literature

Abstract

At the end of the Qing Dynasty, Liu E’s “Lao Can’s Travels” showed obvious spatial structure in both content and ideological level, and its space writing showed the characteristics of “endorsement” for the writer’s psychology. Therefore, exploring the space structure of “Lao Can’s Travels” is an important perspective for understanding the text of the novel. The space structure of the novel can be divided into three levels: The first is the real space, including the landscape space such as Shandong Wufu, the peach blossom mountain cave and other living spaces; the second is the virtual space including the dream space and the hell space; the third is the author’s psychology shown through the protagonist’s behavior and consciousness space. In addition, the effect of the spatial structure itself also makes the novel open to readers and expands the interactivity of the novel.