On the Rural Cultural Expression in Modern Literature — Taking <i>Border Town</i> and <i>The Rite of Initiation</i> as examples

Border Town by Shen Congwen and The Rite of Initiation by Wang Zengqi are two iconic works that showcase the culture and emotions of rural society in modern Chinese literature. This paper aims to explore the following two aspects: first, to explore the idealized representational construction of rural society in the works, including the images of rural natural and cultural landscapes and cultural utopias and the ideal pursuit of traditional lifestyles reflected behind them; secondly, the use of local metaphors elevates specific regional features and folk practices to the level of cultural symbols, thereby deeply exploring how these metaphors make the connection between tradition and reality more profound; finally, analyzing the anti-reality function contained in the work to reveal the dilemma and tension of traditional culture in the process of modernization through criticizing and transcending the contradictions of reality. Relying on the deep cultural connotations of the two works, this paper attempts to analyze the complex interaction between rural traditions and modern changes in modern Chinese literature, and provide certain insights into how rural narratives shape modern literary works, thereby playing a positive role in building the cultural identity and social consciousness of the Chinese nation.