Xuhan Li

I chose Literature initially simply because I love to read and was under the mistaken impression that completing a Literature degree would allow me to go on to become a Mandarin teacher (which it didn't). However, during my sophomore year, I participated in my first research project with a professor in my department, and my view of literature changed dramatically. My advisor recommended that I read Zizek's Sideways Glances, and I was also introduced to some literary theorists such as Zhang Xudong, Susan Sontag, and Metz, whose analysis of texts was very refreshing to me. Since then I have wanted to be exposed to more literary theories. After minoring in the history of Western philosophy for two semesters, I became very interested in structuralism and deconstructionism, read a lot of introductory readings by the theorists involved (the introductions in that series were very well written), and ended up liking the theories of Roland Barthes. I admire his attitude towards life and think that constantly breaking and innovating is one of the most precious qualities of a theorist. In my senior year, I chose to use Roland Barthes' S/Z as my thesis research material, I think it was an extremely bold attempt to introduce sex (body) into textual analysis at that time, in which I communicated with my advisor many times to revise it, and I also borrowed Lacan's theory of desire, and finally I got an excellent rating.

At the same time, because my undergraduate studies were oriented towards film and television (in addition, our school also has some minor directions in editing and ancient literature), I am more interested in new media forms of "text" such as film, anime, online literature, and game episodes. The three-year epidemic has made me realize that the Internet will play a huge role in the future, and that culture will affect the public in new and more violent forms - this is also the cutting-edge "text" of literature that I want to apply on the basis of  my study of literary theory. I believe these texts will likewise lead to new literary theories。