A Brief Introduction to Chinese American Writers and Their Works.docx

A Brief Introduction to Chinese American Writers and Their Works.docx

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ABriefIntroductiontoChineseAmericanWritersandTheirWorks

华裔美国作家及其作品简介

ABriefIntroductiontoChineseAmericanWritersandTheirWorks

Contents

Abstract……………………………………………………………………..1

Keywords…………………………………………………………………...1

I.TheBriefIntroductiontotheBackgroundInformation……………....2

II.TheBriefIntroductiontotheWritersandTheirWorks………...….3

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;Kingston'saunt,MoonOrchid;andfinallyKingstonherself—toldinfivechapters.ThechaptersintegrateKingston'slivedexperiencewithaseriesoftalk-stories—spokenstoriesthatcombineChinesehistory,myths,andbeliefs—hermothertellsher.

Thefirstchapter,"No-NameWoman,"beginswithonesuchta