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    A Study Guide for Gao Xingjian's "The Other Shore"
    A Study Guide for Gao Xingjian's "The Other Shore"
    A Study Guide for Gao Xingjian's "The Other Shore"
    Ebook38 pages34 minutes

    A Study Guide for Gao Xingjian's "The Other Shore"

    By Gale and Cengage

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    About this ebook

    A Study Guide for Gao Xingjian's "The Other Shore," excerpted from Gale's acclaimed Drama For Students. This concise study guide includes plot summary; character analysis; author biography; study questions; historical context; suggestions for further reading; and much more. For any literature project, trust Drama For Students for all of your research needs.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherCengage Learning - Gale
    Release dateAug 3, 2016
    ISBN9781535838764
    A Study Guide for Gao Xingjian's "The Other Shore"

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      Book preview

      A Study Guide for Gao Xingjian's "The Other Shore" - Gale

      1

      The Other Shore

      Gao Xingjian

      1990

      Introduction

      The Other Shore by Gao Xingjian was written in 1986. It was originally scheduled to be produced by the Beijing People's Art Theater but, for political reasons, it was banned and never staged in mainland China. That the play was never allowed to be produced in China is somewhat ironic given the fact that Xingjian originally wrote The Other Shore as a pure drama and as an exercise for actors, and he has steadfastly stated his belief that literature should remain independent and free of political considerations. But the work nevertheless raised the ire of authorities, and it proved to be a turning point in Xingjian's life: although it was not the first of Xingjian's works to be banned, the state's decision on The Other Shore convinced the playwright that if he was to continue to write unhindered by state controls, it would not be inside mainland China. In 1987, Xingjian left his native land for France, where he lives in exile. Eventually The Other Shore was performed, under Xingjian's direction, in Taiwan in 1990 and in Hong Kong in 1995, and later in Europe and the United States.

      The play's title refers to the concept of paramita or nirvana, the land of enlightenment in Buddhism. According to Buddhist belief, humans experience an actual visible life full of suffering, but by living according to the virtues of paramita—morality, patience, meditation and wisdom—they can cross the river of life to the other shore and experience enlightenment.

      The Other Shore reveals many themes and traits characteristic of Xingjian's writing. Thematically, the play addresses issues of collectivism and individualism—themes that Xingjian has addressed throughout his career, and ones that are considered to be highly political in the Communist Chinese context. The Other Shore also addresses the more personal theme of salvation: the actors cross the river of life to reach nirvana, only to find that nirvana does not exist.

      Stylistically Xingjian is considered avant-garde; his works seldom follow conventional narrative modes, and The Other Shore is no exception. The play comprises a series of seemingly disconnected scenes with no discernible plot or character development. The play clearly shows the influences of Jerzy Grotowski, the

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