Article Open Access http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/jhass.2023.02.002
The Woman Warrior: Interpreting Chinese American Literature from the Perspective of Cultural Identity
Xinyan Cai
Foreign Languages and Literatures, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
*Corresponding author: Xinyan Cai
Published: February 15,2023
Abstract
Maxine Hong Kingston’s novel, the Woman Warrior, attracted plentiful critics from the perspective of cultural identity. However, so far researches on The Woman Warrior using identity theory have failed to focus on the dynamic interaction between the author and the text, but center on the characters’ construction of cultural identity. This paper aims to decipher how the text manifests the author’s struggle between distinct cultural identities, namely Chinese and American, and how the author constructs her identity through the process of writing. The technique employed by this paper is mainly close-reading with the aid of identity theories. The results showed that Kingston intentionally identifies herself with Americans, while being unconsciously bound up with Chinese culture. Additionally, accusations towards her such as “Orientalist” is improper. This research is also valuable for later studies on the mindset of contemporary people who are in the face of diverse cultures.
References
Excerpt from Maxine Hong Kingston: Talking Story. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=if6RmoT5roI.
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Schueller, M. J. (2017). Contemporary American Women Writers. London; New York: Routledge.
How to cite this paper
The Woman Warrior: Interpreting Chinese American Literature from the Perspective of Cultural Identity
How to cite this paper: Xinyan Cai. (2023) The Woman Warrior: Interpreting Chinese American Literature from the Perspective of Cultural Identity. Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Science, 7(2), 240-243.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/jhass.2023.02.002