Cultural ways of seeing: Chinese visual perception and interpretation in Lao She’s “Rickshaw boy” and “Cat country”

Abstract

The article examines visual perception in Lao She’s novels “Rickshaw Boy” and “Cat Country” in connection with Chinese cultural traditions of seeing and interpreting the world. The study argues that visuality in these texts does not function as a simple descriptive device. Instead, it structures the reader’s perception and shapes the process of interpretation itself. Special attention is paid to the relationship between ordinary visibility, spatial organization, and cultural forms of perception. The comparison of the two novels demonstrates different models of visual experience, ranging from everyday urban observation to distorted and unstable visual worlds.