The Bond of Alienation

Xiaolu Guo's A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers dwells heavily on the theme of alienation. Z is, by her own admission, an outsider, having spent her entire life in small town China with shoe-making family. Her time in London is characterized by both her intricate and somewhat passive observations of the differences between Chinese and English culture and her complex and unique relationship with her much older boyfriend.

While somewhat of an outsider himself, Z’s boyfriend demonstrates a distinctly Western laziness which emanates from many of his many aspects of his lifestyle. This is probably best illustrated by his identification as an artist, an easy label under which one is free to behave as they which. His tumultuous past is also hinted at through his vegetarianism, as well as the short, uncomfortable reunion with his family. His disgust with the preparation of meat at this gathering is evidence of this. It seems as though his beliefs are structured against those of his family, and that, rather than being rebellious and anarchic by nature, he is simply trying to distance himself from his own upbringing.

In this way, he and Z are both outcasts. Z’s trouble with the language barrier and culture shock and her boyfriend’s disillusionment and outsider attitude creates a somewhat mutual sense of alienation that is one of the very few things they have in common. The strength of this alienation, however, is powerful enough to create a bond that outweighs their countless differences.