There are many themes in Wang Anyi's Baotown, but if we were to choose a main theme, we might zoom in the theme of appearance versus reality, which is central to the story and expressed through the author's use of symbolism. Let's explore this in more detail.
The little village of Baotown is as nondescript as can be, and it seems peaceful as people go about their daily lives. Yet beneath the surface, there are conflicts. Picked-Up Feng offends everyone with his exploits. The Fifth Grandfather appears to be a grumpy fellow, yet Dregs becomes quite attached to him, so much so that the boy gives his life to save the old man from the flood.
The gap between appearance and reality widens at that point as the report of Dregs's sacrifice spreads, and he becomes the “Young Hero” promoted by the Communist Party. Dregs was never any such thing. He was a young boy with a heart full of love, yet the Communists make him into their own image and promote Baotown as an ideal place, which—of course—it is not.
We can already begin to see the symbolism the author uses in the story. Dregs and Baotown represent the results of the Communist program of propaganda. The author wants to show how reality can be transformed into a message that appears true and good on the surface but is actually skewed beneath.
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