An interrogation of selected texts by amy tan using feminist, cultural studies, and ethic studies literary theories
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Date
2013-08
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Publisher
University of Fort Hare
Abstract
The primary aim of this project was to highlight the doubly oppressed position of Asian American women, and the manner in which they have aimed to combat gender and racial discrimination. Through analysing the Tan's female protagonists in the selected texts of The Joy Luck Club, The Kitchen God's Wife, and The Bonesetter's Daughter using Feminist, Cultural Studies, and Ethnic Studies Literary Theories, it has proven how Chinese immigrant mothers and their second generation Asian American daughters have been immersed in different cultures that dictated their thought and behavioural patterns. Additionally, this project has illustrated the strict patriarchal rule of pre-revolutionary China through the oppressive treatment the Chinese immigrant mothers receive while growing up, and the ways in which they emancipated themselves from gender oppression. Furthermore, the racial
discrimination the mothers endure in American society is examined, and this project proves how the mothers combat the negative stereotyping associated with their culture by sharing the stories of their oppressed lives in China with their daughters. It is through telling their stories that the mothers draw their daughters closer to the culture they previously alienated, and mending the emotional and cultural rifts that were once present in the mother-daughter relationships. An exploration into the life of Amy Tan has also been conducted due to the semiautobiographical nature of her writing, while a historical analysis on Chinese culture and Asian immigration has also been accompanied to provide an overview of the historical significance of Asian American literature. While feminist literature focusing on the emancipation of white women has been widely published, the field of Asian American women's literature has not developed to the same extent, and is thus the rationale behind this project.
The theoretical frameworks used in this project are Feminism, Cultural Studies, and
Ethnic Studies Literary Theories. The area of Third Wave Feminism contributes particularly to this project, as the female protagonists are women of colour who feel excluded from the concept of feminism that white women have created for themselves. The female protagonists wish to establish their own voice, free from patriarchal definitions and white feminist's assumptions regarding women of colour. Cultural Studies Literary Theory assists in examining the affect that one's culture controls thought and behaviour, which differs according to culture. Ethnic Studies Literary Theory helps to analyse the treatment one affords from mainstream society from the cultural and racial characteristics that one displays. The comparison of The Joy Luck Club, The Kitchen God's Wife, and The Bonesetter's Daughter provides insight regarding Chinese women's oppressed status in China, the emancipation of Asian American women, and reuniting with the culture that the second generation Asian American daughters abandoned. Tan's message of identifying with one's culture to create awareness of one's own identity is promoted in her writings, and illustrated in the analysis of her selected texts.
Description
Masters Dissertation
Keywords
Feminism and Literature, Feminist literary criticism, Chinese immigrant
Citation
Van Der Westhuizen,T.B.An interrogation of selected texts by amy tan using feminist, cultural studies, and ethic studies literary theories.Alice.University of Fort Hare.