Morality and Identity in Flux: The Antihero’s Journey in Rebecca F. Kuang’s The Poppy War (2018)

Abstract

Abstract: The current study is a probe into the moral ambiguity and identity dynamics in Rebecca F. Kuang’s The Poppy War (2018) through an analysis of the protagonist Runin Fang (Rin) as an antihero amidst the brutal realities of war. It investigates Rin’s quest for authenticity and self-conceptualisation, using philosophical and psychological concepts. The events of Kuang’s novel are inspired by the Second Sino-Japanese War between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan (1937-1945). Kuang explores the course of the war, delving into existential concerns, trauma, and ethics by crafting an imaginary world of fantastical elements. This sets up the study to investigate how the novel addresses issues of morality and identity. It focuses on the manifestation of Jungian archetypes on Rin, mainly the ‘shadow’, her emblem of the Byronic hero, and her representation of Nietzschean views on amorality. It also scrutinises Rin’s ontological transformation and her struggle against dogma through the lens of Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari’s concept of Body without Organs (BwO). Overall, the study aims to position Rin as an antihero and a nonconformist to social expectations, underscoring the contemporary novel’s convoluted philosophical portrayal of morality, identity, and heroism. Keywords: BwO, Fantasy, Heroism, Identity, Morality.