“Topophrenia”: Emotional Shaping in Migrant Geographic Landscape: O Pioneers! and Peacock Cries at the Three Gorges as the Center

Abstract

Immigrants, placed in the mixed space of the post-globalization era, are constantly undergoing geographical displacement, life transplantation and nonvisualized emotional experiences, embedded with strong “topophrenia”. They face the shackles of the new and old land. From Willa Cather’s O Pioneers! in the early 20th century to Peacock Cries at the Three Gorges by Hong Ying in the late 20th century, they depict segregated migrant geographical landscapes based on diverse forms of land and rivers respectively, giving rise to different forms of “migration lines”: the “dividing line” in Nebraska and the “water line” in the Three Gorges Dam area of the Yangtze River. Both double lines conceal the authors’ immigrant experience and their special anti-isolation, and finally complete social gender and identity confirmation. Through the counterpoint writing of geographical landscapes and the shaping of dual emotions, multicultural forms are continuously activated by immigrant communities. In this context, wishing to provide a novel perspective and interpretation path for immigrant literature, it will bridge the intersectional commonality between Chinese and foreign immigrants, and compose the immigrant song of the times.