A Brief Introduction to Chinese American Writers and Their WorksWord文档格式.docx
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1.MaxineHongKingston………………………………...…………....3
1)Biographyofthewriter……..………………………………….…......3
2)Theintroductiontoherworks………..…………….…….…………..4
2.AmyTan……………………………………………………...…………7
1)Biographyofthewriter………….…………..……..………………....7
2)Theintroductiontoherworks…………….…………..………………8
3.GusLee………………………………………………………………..10
1)Biographyofthewriter…………..……...……………………............10
2)Theintroductiontohisworks………..………………..…………..11
4.GishJen……………………………………………………………….12
1)Biographyofthewriter………………………………………..……..12
2)Theintroductiontoherworks…………………...……………...….....12
III.TheInfluenceofChineseAmericanWritersandTheirWorks…....13
IV.Conclusion……………………………………………………………..14
References…………………………………………………………...….15
Abstract:
Chinese-AmericanliteraturereferstofictionswritteninEnglishbyAmericansofChineseorigin.TheWomanWarriorandTheJoyLuckClubhavemadetheirauthors,MaxineHongKingstonandAmyTan,popularamongAmericanreaders.Thetwobest-sellersalsohallmarkedtheentryofChinese-AmericanliteratureintotheAmericanmainstream.WhileChinese-AmericanliteratureisflourishingintheUnitedStates,the“Chinaimage”isalsochanging.TheuniqueviewpointsandwritingskillsofChineseAmericanwriters,aswellastheprofoundbackgroundofChinesehistoryandcivilization,hadastronginfluenceontheAmericanreaders,makingthemfeelrefreshed.Amongthem,MaxineHongKingston,AmyTan,GusLee,andGishJenarethefamousones.AndthispaperwillfocusonthoseChineseAmericanwritersandtheirworks.Thepaperwillfollowthreesteps:
1)thebriefintroductiontothebackgroundinformation;
2)thebriefintroductiontothewritersandtheirworks;
3)theinfluenceofthemandtheirworks.
Keywords:
ChineseAmericanliterature;
ChineseAmericanwriters;
works;
influence,thoughts
摘要:
美国华裔文学是指华裔美国人用英文写的小说。
《花木兰》和《喜福会》这两部作品使其作者汤婷婷、谭恩美深受美国读者的喜爱。
同时这两部畅销书也标志美国华裔文学融入美国主流文学。
而华裔文学在美国的蓬勃发展,“中国形象”也在变化。
华裔美国作家独特的观点和写作技巧以及深厚的历史文化背景对美国读者产生了强烈的影响,使他们感到耳目一新。
其中,汤婷婷、谭恩美、李健孙、任璧莲都是十分著名的作家。
而本文将侧重于这些华裔作家和他们的作品介绍。
这篇论文将分以下三部分:
1)背景知识简介;
2)作者及其作品简介;
3)作者及其作品的影响。
关键词:
美国华裔文学;
华裔美国作家;
作品;
影响;
思想
I.TheBriefIntroductiontotheBackgroundInformation
Chinese-AmericanliteraturereferstoworksthatarewritteninEnglishbyAmericanswhoarewiththeChineseorigin.WhenChinesebegantoimmigratetotheUnitedStatesduringthegold-rushage,mostofthemhadbeenstrugglingatthebottomoftheAmericansociety.WhenmentionedinAmericanliterature,theimageofChinesewasaweakfemalewhowasalwaysseekingforhelp.IntheeyesofWesterners,theywerealways“outsiders.”Undersuchsituations,evenAmerica-bornChinesewritersfoughtagainsttheirmothercultureintheircreations.
Thesituationdidnotchangeuntilthelatterhalfofthe20thcenturyinwhichtheCivilRightsMovementtookplaceintheUnitedStates.ManyAmericansbegantothinkaboutpeopleoftheotherracesandtheirculturesinadifferentway.Besides,FeministMovement,Anti-VietnamWarandMinorityRights,inadditiontotheimprovementinSino-USrelation,forcedthemainstreamofAmericansocietytopaymoreattentiontotheChineseimage.Inthe1970s,whenmoreandmorepeopleacceptedglobalization,theynotonlyacceptedtheChinese-AmericanwriterswhoseworksreflectedtheChineseculturebutalsosubjectedtofightingagainstauthorityandcentralization.What’smore,theuniqueviewpointsandwritingskillsofthesewriters,aswellastheprofoundbackgroundofChinesehistoryandcivilization,hadastronginfluenceontheAmericanreaders,makingthemfeelrefreshed.
Nevertheless,Chinese-Americanwritersareaveryuniquegroup.TotheAmericanculture,theyareChinesewhofollowedtheChinesetradition,butinfrontoftheChinesecivilization,theyarealsooutsiders.Livingas“outsiders”ofbothcultures,theirinterpretationofthe“Chinaimage”maynotbeasaccurateasitissupposedtobe.ItisnaturalthattheyhavetofollowtheAmericanculturaltrendandaesthetictaste.
Therefore,intheirfictions,Chineseimmigrantscannotgetridoftheimageof“outsider”and“theweak”whiletheirknowledgeabouttheChinesecivilizationisfarfromenough.ThisisthedilemmaforChinese-Americanwriters.
Therefore,identity-seekinghasalwaysbeenoneofthemostprominentthemesinChineseAmericanliterarywriting,sinceChineseAmericanshavebeengrapplingwiththepsychologicalandsocialdilemmaoftheidentitycrises.ChineseimmigrantsoftenfindthemselvesinanidentitydilemmawhentheymovetoAmerica.Althoughfirst-generationChineseimmigrantsusuallytrytomaintaintheirethnicidentityinAmericaasChinese,theyoftenfinditdifficulttoattainthisgoal.AllkindsofracismintheAmericansocietycontributetothebreakdownoftheirtraditionalChinesevalues,andtheyhavetostrugglewithanewculture.FinallytheyseethenecessityofgoingbacktotheirChineserootsandtryingtoachieveaconnectionwiththeiroriginalChinesecultureandasenseofracialandculturalprideiftheyaretoknowandacceptwhotheyareinthemulticulturalenvironment.Consequently,atthefinalstage,ChineseAmericansfindtheirnewidentityasChineseAmericanswhoembracethemultipleandoftenconflictingaspectsofChineseAmericanculture—ablendedcultureinashrinkingworldthatisitselfbecomingmoreandmoreculturallyhybrid.Withthisaim,manyChineseAmericanwritersusetheirpenstocreateanewformofculture.SoChineseAmericanliberationhascomeintobeing.
II.TheBriefIntroductiontotheWritersandTheirWorks
1.MaxineHongKingston
1)Biographyofthewriter
MaxineTingTingHongwasbornonOctober27,1940,inStockton,California,whichhadbeenamajorsupplycenterduringtheCaliforniagold-rusheraofthemid-nineteenthcentury.Ayearearlier,in1939,hermother,YingLanHong,hadarrivedfromChinaatEllisIsland,NewYork,tojoinherhusband,Tom,whohademigratedfromChinatotheUnitedStatesfifteenyearsearlier.NamedforablondfemalegamblerwhomherfatherhadmetwhileworkinginagamblingestablishmentinCalifornia,Maxine,thefirstofsixAmerican-bornchildreninthefamily,grewupinStockton’sChinatown,whereherparentsownedalaundrybusiness.Sheneverfeltthatherparentsencouragedhertodowellinheracademicstudies,inpartbecauseintheirconservativeChineseculture,womenoftenarenotexpectedtohavecareersoutsideofthehome.HernegativechildhoodexperiencesarereflectedinTheWomanWarrior,inwhichsheexhibitsacertainbitternessleveledatherparents,aswellasatAmericanandChinesecultures.
Afterhavingexcelledinherhigh-schoolstudies,HongwonelevenscholarshipsthatallowedhertoattendtheUniversityofCaliforniaatBerkeley,fromwhichshegraduatedin1962.Thatsameyear,shemarriedEarllKingston,anactor.Twoyearslater,shereturnedtoBerkeleytopursueateachingcertificate,whichshereceivedin1965.Forthenexttwoyears,shetaughtEnglishandmathematicsinHayward,California,andthenin1967,she,herhusband,andtheirson,Joseph,movedtotheislandofHawaii,wherehergreat-grandfathersfirsthadworkedwhentheyimmigratedtoAmerica.InChinaMen,KingstondescribestheexperiencesofherforefathersworkingontheroughplantationsofHawaii,whichtheycalledSandalwoodMountain.
InHawaii,KingstontaughtEnglishatthestateuniversityandatMid-PacificInstitute,aprivateschool;
inhersparetime,shewrote.WhenTheWomanWarriorwaspublishedin1976andbecameanimmediateandunqualifiedsuccess,sheretiredfromteachinganddevotedherenergiestowriting.ChinaMen,whichrelatestheordealsofthemalemembersofKingston’sfamilyinAmerica,appearedin1980,followedbyHawaiiOneSummer(1987),acollectionoftwelveproseselections.In1989,shepublishedTripmasterMonkey:
HisFakeBook,herfirsttraditionallystructurednovel,inwhichshetellsthefictitiousstoryofWhitmanAhSing,aChineseAmericanlivinginBerkeley,California,duringthecounter-culture1960s,withitshippies,tie-dyedtee-shirts,anddrugaddiction.TheenergeticadventuresofWhitmanAhSing,whosenameevokesimagesoftheAmericanpoetWaltWhitmanandhisrefrainphrase“Ising”—“AhSing”—revealtheprotagonist’suneaseabouthisroleandfutureinAmerica.
Kingstonisafrequentcommentatorandguestspeakeratacademicconferencesandculturaleventsacrossthecountry,andshehasoftenfounditnecessarytowritearticlesdefendingTheWomanWarrior,explainingherselfandrebuttingsomecriticswhofeelthatthefamousautobiographyfocusestoomuchonexoticChinesehistoryandnotenoughontheday-to-dayracismthatChineseAmericansfaceinAmericansociety.Tothesecharges,KingstonrespondsthatsheisnottryingtorepresentChineseculture;
sheisportrayingherownexperiences.
2)Theintroductiontoherworks
(1)TheWomanWarrior
TheWomanWarriorfocusesonthestoriesoffivewomen—Kingston'
slong-deadaunt,"
No-NameWoman"
;
amythicalfemalewarrior,FaMuLan;
Kingston'
smother,BraveOrchid;
saunt,MoonOrchid;
andfinallyKingstonherself—toldinfivechapters.ThechaptersintegrateKingston'
slivedexperiencewithaseriesoftalk-stories—spokenstoriesthatcombineChinesehistory,myths,andbeliefs—hermothertellsher.
Thefirstchapter,"
No-NameWoman,"
beginswithonesuchta