Abstract: “Girl student” is one of the signifier signs in the modern discourse system of 20^th century China.As a metonymy symbol of “modernity”,the liberated “girl student” becomes the reference of modernity criticism in Shen Congwen’s works,showing an independent male feature.Also,“girl student”,as the image of “the other”,contains alien and desirous features,whose objectification and objectivity are revealed in the abstract and contradictive descriptions.The image of “girl student” in Shen’s works forms the overlap between Xiangxi and urban society,showing the rural imagination of urban and the urban influence on rural.It also shows the writer’s self examination and his criticism and reflection on nationality and process of social modernization.

Key words: Shen Congwen, girl student, the other, modernity