Wandering And Diaspora

As contrast to literature of China , South East Asian Literature in Chinese has long beenmarginalised. To consider it as a tributary of Chinese literature is not right, as the formation of Chinese circle of livelihood has already transformed its mother culture; to regard it as local native literature is not appropriate, as it cannot throw away its entangled relationship with Chinese culture. Regarding to the political reality, the unfair treatment of Chinese by government policies of the South East Asian countries apparently suppress the dimensions of existence of Chinese people. This thesis tries to study the position of Chinese culture in the whole South East Asian society and how did the writers in Chinese, in a precarious situation, develop a literature which really belongs to them.As a narrative production in the world of Chinese language, South East Asian Literature in Chinese has unavoidably influenced by the mother literature in Chinese, be it classical or modern. In reality, symbol of ethnic culture has been used the most in South East Asian Literature in Chinese. There are reasons in both historical and real terms. From the historical perspective, the early stage of South East Asian Literature in Chinese was germinated and developed in the form of "expatriate literature". In the past, South East Asian Literature in Chinese was a tributary of Chinese Literature, an expatriate literature which had not had its own subjectivity. Therefore, an expression of Chinese-ness was very natural.As a literature in Chinese, South East Asian Literature in Chinese cannot avoid completely its frame of reference in Chinese Literature, including classical Chinese literature in the traditional sense and modern and contemporary literature of mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Sometimes its relationship with Chinese Literature seems to be very ambiguous, separated yet connected. Sometimes it will raise its own bright banner, presenting itself as an individual member of the family of world's literature in Chinese. This change is apparently not due to a sole inherent factor in the literature per se, but a variation of ascetic mentality in a scenario of political resistance, demonstrating the psychological dilemma and struggles of Chinese.As a literary system which is written in Chinese and whose creative subjects and receptive communities are predominately ethnic Chinese, South East Asian Literature in Chinese is really difficult to cast off the influence of ethnic Chinese culture. South East Asian Chinese are naturally under the influence of "China". As their ancestors who came across the sea from China passed on to the next generation the memory of "China", which will be passed on again generation after generation, it is impossible to shake off its entangled relationship with Chinese culture.On the path of creative writing, South East Asian writers in Chinese will always struggle on their own. No one can lend a helping hand. They can only strive hard with limited protection in a limited field of magazines, without asking for any rewards. Although South East Asian Literature in Chinese has experienced influence of political changes of several generations, its contents and features are still perceived by some racists with "different eyes". Recent South East Asian writers in Chinese, each in their owndifferent style, have made their way through in their works using the issues of local society and politics as topics either explicitly or implicitly, through the strategic language of literature. They would not resort to anguish, resistance or submission easily, nor would they eulogize someone's virtues or perform political propaganda unilaterally. They use their pen of literature to intervene in the real society, write in a literary language full of diverse meanings, and outline the contour of South East Asian Literature in Chinese, which had been ambiguous for several decades.South East Asian Literature in Chinese was originated under the influence and inspiration of the New Literature Movement of the May Fourth Movement. This fact is unanimously agreed by experts and scholars in the field of research in the history of South East Asian Literature in Chinese. South East Asian Literature in Chinese in its early stage was originally a tributary of the New Literature of China and the first generation of ethnic Chinese in different South East Asian countries are immigrants from China. As there was such a cultural and blood relationship, the presence of "nostalgia and homesickness", "imagination of motherland" and "Chinese complex" in the works of South East Asian Literature in Chinese is not only a very "natural" phenomenon, but a mentality "already so" in its early formation.Such emotions and concepts can be ethnic, cultural, historical, or even geographical. These entangled "complexes" may either express the aspiration for and nostalgia of the Chinese motherland, or express an admiration of the ancient tradition of China and be proud of the Chinese culture of five thousand years, or express a belittlement of alien culture or a rejection, contempt and fear of their respective religion. The Chinese complex is a very common phenomenon amongst South East Asian writers in Chinese, mostly expressing their connection with Chinese culture which cannot be dissevered. What is different is that while some express it in speech and deportment, and temperament and demeanour, some turns it into a feeling expressed between the lines.Facing the reality directly and rooted in the native lands, and simultaneously facing the world and developing outwardly are the duality of Literature in Chinese. Close to real life, rooted in Chinese society, using the lives of Chinese as their major topics, expressing a rich taste of Chinese lives, reflecting the particular facets of society and walks of life in their countries of residence, and evolving towards contextualisation are common pursuits of writers in Chinese.The translocation of Chinese (expatriates) is in fact a dissemination of culture. Their existence is a kind of cultural existence. In the reflection of a different culture in an alien land, they strongly recognise the cultural identity and values that they represent; both their own literary accomplishment and ethnic responsibilities identify themselves with Chinese culture, thoughts in creative writing all carry directly with them influences from China. The environment of the countries or regions in which South East Asian Chinese live is different from that of China. There is the multi-ethnic and multi-cultural cross-existence and mutual influence amongst particular social institutions, ideologies, cultural backgrounds, literary thoughts, as well as local conditions, customs, religions and folklore, etc, which make writers in Chinese developed their own particular system in thoughts, concepts and ways of expression.