Heroes and Villains: Binary Oppositions in the Novel "Sisters from the North" by Contemporary Chinese Writer Sheng Keyi

The research demonstrates a clear system of binary oppositions in the novel, which undergoes both sequential and chaotic changes against the backdrop of rapidly changing China. It has been identified that the physicality of the heroines becomes a commodity in the context of market relations; state institutions are transformed into instruments of biopower; characters develop tactics for pragmatic survival. The subject of the study is the system of binary oppositions as a key narrative and semiotic tool in the novel by contemporary Chinese writer Sheng Keyi, "Sisters from the North." By employing a comprehensive analysis of the system of binary oppositions in the novel, the study aims to reveal their roles in the representation of fundamental conflicts (conflicts between tradition and modernization, collective and individual, rural and urban ways of life) in the culture and society of China during the reform era. Research methods: The foundation is a synthesis of the structural semiotic approach of Yu. M. Lotman, which relies on the concept of the semiosphere and boundary, as well as narratological analysis, which allows for the identification of basic oppositions (female/male, own/alien, village/city) and tracking their dynamic transformation within the artistic text. The scientific novelty lies in the complex application of Yu. M. Lotman’s semiotic theory, which reveals the specifics of sociocultural conflicts that are resolved not by the logic of the victory of good over evil, but by establishing a dynamic and, at the same time, fragile balance between people. The conducted research has shown that the initial system of binary oppositions is blurred and subjected to complete deconstruction. Physicality becomes a commodity, law is a source of lawlessness, and medical assistance is an instrument of violence (institutional conflict). As a result, the heroines develop a contradictory worldview formed under the pressure of experienced upheavals (existential conflict). Women cease to be passive victims; they employ flexible strategies for daily survival to navigate within a hostile system. The "sisters" try to use its rules to their advantage, even if this comes at the cost of moral compromises. Their victory lies not in changing the system but in the ability to exist within it while preserving the remnants of their dignity.