From Literary Subject to Cinematic Object: Wang Qiyao's Cross-Media Adaptation of The Song of Everlasting Sorrow

Abstract

This paper examines the transformation of female subjectivity in the cross-media adaptation of Wang Anyi's The Song of Everlasting Sorrow, with particular attention to the transition of Wang Qiyao from a literary subject to a cinematic object. Through close textual analysis and feminist film theory, especially Laura Mulvey's theory of the male gaze, this study explores how the film adaptation reconstructs Wang Qiyao's identity through changes in narrative perspective, visual representation, and spatial narration. In the original novel, Wang Qiyao functions not only as an autonomous female consciousness but also as a symbolic embodiment of Shanghai's urban culture and historical memory. However, in the cinematic adaptation, her psychological depth and narrative agency are significantly weakened through the dominance of male-centered visual structures and melodramatic romantic narratives. Meanwhile, Shanghai itself is reduced from an active narrative subject to a decorative nostalgic backdrop. This paper further argues that such a transformation is closely related to differences in media specificity, audience expectations, and the commercial logic of cultural production. Ultimately, the adaptation reflects broader issues concerning gender politics, spectatorship, and the reconstruction of female subjectivity in cross-media storytelling.