The Chinese Dream as Cultural Myth: A Narrative Analysis of President Xi Jinping's Speech

Abstract

The Chinese Dream is the most important national narrative in Chinese political discourse. Existing studies have mainly focused on its political implications or diplomatic influences. However, limited study has been done to examine the narrative structure and mythic natures of the Chinese Dream. This study provides a cross-cultural analysis of the Chinese Dream narrative, revealing the significant role of the collective hero and the dynamics of a dual protagonist that are deep-rooted in the Chinese cultural and historical context. The analysis of the Chinese Dream has important implications for understanding the significance of cultural dimensions in narrative criticism.

Keywords:

• Chinese Narrative Theory
• Collective Hero
• Mythic Criticism
• The Chinese Dream
• Xi Jinping

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Xi Li

Xi Li (MA, University of Alaska) is a PhD candidate at the Department of Communication Studies, University of Kansas. The author is especially grateful to Dr. Robert Rowland for his advice regarding this article.