Self-Writing Of Chinese American Women Writers

By applying biographical theories and feminist criticism, this thesis makes a diachronic research on three literary texts by three Chinese American women writers: Fifth Chinese Daughter by Jade Snow Wang, The Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston, and The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan, intending to make clear the thread of female autobiographical writing in Chinese American literature."Self-writing" in this thesis has double meanings. The first refers to the literary form—autobiography or autobiographical fiction written by these writers. The second indication is that with autobiographical writing, the writers intend to put the process of pursuing "self in words.The Fifth Chinese Daughter is characterized for its application of the third person point of view, which seems to be contradictory to the author's pursuit of individuality. The self for Jade Snow Wong is a paradoxical "I". The Woman Warrior challenges the very definition of autobiography and the fictive selves help to construct the true self. The Joy Luck Club, based on Amy Tan's experiences with her mother, is an autobiographical fiction. The making of "self for the daughter generation is realized by their opposing to the instructions imposed by their Chinese mothers. The difficulties of locating "self, rather than the analysis of it, are depicted.These works by Chinese American women writers have succeeded in helping not only the construction, but also the deconstruction of the body of American autobiographical writing and in propelling the development of Chinese American literature.