Chapter 5 from 'Soul Mountain'


I write from chapter 5 of the book ' soul mountain ' by Gao Xingjian. The chapter describes an evening marked by the chance meeting with an unknown women who remains unknown companion for a short time and departs. From the desolate river side pavilion to the storyteller's theatre and then back to the quite street, the couple blend with each other as if in great need for company. The protagonist is attracted to the young women and approaches her at the fruit shop. She consents to the advanced and allows trivial moments of togetherness and joy. They listen to the curious story of chan fatong, literally meaning ' comprehending the Buddha's laws'. However the woman abruptly gets away from the crowed as if her joy was torn away by the realisation of being observed. She appears to have realised the vulneroof the happiness. The chapter ends with her strolling for a short distance in open air and then turning back to go away.



Philosophical Evaluation of the Story
This passage, though brief, is a philosophical statement on human connection, authenticity, and the nature of reality. It encapsulates several core tenets of existentialism that are central to Gao Xingjian's work.

The protagonist's journey in Soul Mountain is an attempt to create meaning and find an authentic self in a world stripped of traditional values. The encounter with the unknown woman is a momentary stop on this journey, a brief, unburdened reprieve. The anonymity of the characters highlights the idea that human connection is often fleeting and based on a momentary, shared need rather than a deep, enduring bond. Their togetherness in a "desolate landscape" underscores their existential loneliness and their desire to find temporary solace.

The Inauthenticity of "Being Observed" is subtly presented in the chapter. The woman's abrupt departure is the most significant philosophical event in the passage. Her joy is not destroyed by the protagonist, but by the gaze of the other. This moment is a direct reflection of Jean-Paul Sartre's concept of "the look" (le regard). Sartre argues that when we become aware of being observed by another person, we cease to be the subject of our own reality and are transformed into an object in their reality. The woman's pure, subjective joy is shattered when she realizes she is being viewed and judged by the crowd. Her private moment becomes public, and its authenticity is compromised. The spontaneity of her happiness gives way to self-consciousness and a feeling of being defined by external perception. She flees to regain her freedom and the authenticity of her subjective existence, where she is not an object but a person.

The story of Chán Fǎtōng provides a temporary escape into a fictional, moral universe. For a brief period, the couple shares a common narrative, a shared reality separate from the mundane. However, the intrusion of the real world—represented by the observing crowd—immediately shatters this illusion. This contrast between the constructed world of stories and the chaotic, often painful reality of human interaction is a recurring theme in the novel. The woman’s departure signifies that while stories can offer temporary comfort, they cannot sustain us against the harsh realities of existence.

Pratyush Chaudhuri 

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