The Affective Monster: A Reading of “Li Zheng” as Exilic Literature

Abstract

The famous Tang dynasty story “Li Zheng” tells how the hero Li Zheng, an aspiring yet socially alienated writer, found himself transformed into a weretiger in the wilderness, and how he later told his experiences to his friend Yuan Can, a travelling official, who brought Li’s writings back to the human world and supported Li’s family. A comparison between “Li Zheng” and its later adaptations show that Li Zheng’s metamorphosis from human to tiger is told in conspicuously divergent ways: Whereas adaptations cast the moment of transformation in prescribed moral or psychological perspectives, the original portrays Li’s shocking bodily changes and intensive affective process without the intervention of intentionality or cognitive response. Drawing on both developments in affect theory and on studies of Tang exilic literature, this paper aims at unraveling the inner workings of “Li Zheng.” The story’s portrayal of Li’s unexplained bodily change, along with Yuan’s untroubled acceptance of it and generosity toward Li and his family, all correspond strongly to Tang exilic literature that stresses both visceral reactions to strange environments and unwavering communal support.