Dissection of Moon 千里共婵娟

Dongyi Wang

Genre: Fiction

Language: English & Chinese

Author: Dongyi Wang

Forthcoming in 2025



“Dissection of the Moon 《千里共婵娟》” unfolds through the lens of a first-person narrative, crafting an unreliable narrator to explore the nuanced agency of women in a post-feminist context. What do women in the global south do when the promise of the Western feminist movement fails to deliver? Characters such as the protagonist and Li Zixuan embody the complexities of growing up in a modern China that navigates the tightrope between its own identity and Western soft imperialism.

The narrative is set against the backdrop of an ever-increasing Chinese international student presence in the U.S. since the 2010s, amidst the fluctuating Sino-American relations post-COVID. These students, coming from backgrounds of affluence and privilege, stand in stark contrast to the early Asian immigrants. Despite their advantages, they confront deep-seated feelings of solitude and alienation within the racialized landscape of America.

Furthermore, the novel probes into the changing landscape of romance under the shadows of late capitalism, where the pursuit of love becomes elusive, sometimes even considered taboo. It also superficially engages with the concept of “situationships,” reflecting on the generational conflict between the longing for and the aversion to commitment, a predicament that casts a long shadow over Gen-Z’s romantic entanglements. This is not only a satirical tragedy of modern romance and intimacy but also a visceral love letter to the resilient people who opened themselves to the world.