Swallow

Author: Zhu Shaolin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-09-01
Features: He unveiled my heart, and deep within our hearts, we all have a pair of wings. When a beam of bright silver light fell upon her in black attire, she, as the swan, danced gracefully, and I was moved to tears. My soul, which had been struggling left and right, finally burst open. That swan then flew into the depths of my heart. In her eyes, she was nothing short of a legend—a dance professor with a temper as fierce as a demon, a genius dancer rejected by the stage, a woman perpetually on the run, all converging in a city of joy and sorrow, exposing their deep flaws and, in the tears, glimpsing another world illuminated by understanding and hope. In their hearts, they both had a pair of wings, sometimes flying side by side, sometimes flying alone, but their flight never ceased, all in pursuit of self-respect and beauty.
The narrative of The Swallow retains a touch of philosophical reflection, such as the two debates between Mr. Lin (responsible for stage arts, Murphey) and Jinxing Tancibotov (Afang) in class. Zhu Shaolin clearly excels at weaving philosophical reflections into his novels. This feature elevates the casual conversations of a group of young people, avoiding the frivolity of idle talk and giving the novel's discourse a certain depth of thought.
The action of The Swallow is compressed into half the time between the rehearsals and the opening night of the grand ballet The Path to Paradise. The story follows events largely in chronological order, with the ending connecting back to the beginning, giving the events a composite function.
The narrative context of The Swallow flows with themes of flight, the release of desires, and an admiration for natural emotions, as well as the liberation of the bound spirit—Longzai tells Afang, "We all have wings." Afang took up dance because she admired Professor Zhuo's ballet The Swallow and wished her own dance could soar like a swan. Professor Zhuo earnestly advises Afang to follow her true self and inner drive, saying, "Follow the swan in your heart, and you won't lose your way," hoping that Afang will recognize herself, because everyone has a swan within them.