Unscheinbarer Held oder Rebell? Eine narratologische Analyse dystopischer Motive und ihrer zentralen Figuren

The article presents an analysis of dystopian motifs in the realm of international literature, emphasizing their critical function in the development and structuring of narrative arcs. At the core of this investigation lies the assertion that dystopias articulate a speculative sociopolitical confi guration – one signifi cantly more unfavorable than the status quo – whose potential realization must be rigorously opposed. Th e study’s foremost aim is to illuminate the strategies through which authors grapple with the concept of ‘dystopia’. To achieve this, the analysis begins by reconstructing foundational defi nitional perspectives that frame the genre. Following this theoretical groundwork, attention turns to an in-depth examination of Folding Beijing, a short story authored by the Chinese writer Hao Jingfang in 2012. Th is text exhibits intriguing affi nities with the classic dystopian narratives that have shaped the European literary canon, yet it simultaneously introduces innovative elements that challenge and transcend conventional genre boundaries. Such distinctiveness underscores the text’s suitability for rigorous literary analysis.