Abstract

This study seeks to expand the established critical discussion regarding the presence of a flâneuse in the rapidly transforming Malaya during the flourishing days of the British Empire, as depicted in Chang Ling Yap’s work, A Flash of Water (2015). Earlier discourse has explored the term flâneuse in Yap’s fifth novel, positioning and making sense of her presence in the postcolonial Malaya modernity. Using flânerie as the method for literary analysis, Yap’s protagonist assumes a distinct position in her life compared to the characters in Baudelaire’s and Benjamin’s works. Shao Peng defies the image of a degraded heroine who needs sympathy and embodies the allure of the flâneuse persona, delineating it throughout her journeys to the city and public realms, and transitions while dealing with issues in the novel. The critical approach highlights her urban experiences and closely examines how she explores her public realms through walking and observing. Customs and traditions are dealt with from the perspective of a flâneuse, linking accounts from daily life to her social engagement within the culture of the spectacle. This study finds that she is also breaking free from the confined roles traditionally associated with a flâneuse.