Power And Chinese American Women’s Subjectification:a Foucaultian Reading Of Sui Sin Far’s Mrs. Spring Fragrance

Sui Sin Far, as one of the pioneer Eurasian writers, in her only book-length collection of stories Mrs. Spring Fragrance, she re-conceptualizes women’s identity, especially Chinese American women’s identity. The important role of this book is beyond doubt and it arouses heated discussion about the book. The publisher of the book once claimed in New York Times,"Quaint, loveable characters are the Chinese who appear in these unusual and exquisite stories of our Western Coast—stories that will open an entirely new world to many readers."(23) In reality, Sui depicts all kinds of Chinese American women images which subvert the stereotypes and dominant paradigms of them in the mainstream discourse.Mrs. Spring Fragrance is often interpreted from the perspective of ethnic identity. This thesis, by employing the power theory of Foucault, analyzes the dilemma Chinese American women face and the process of their subjectification. According to the French philosopher Foucault, power is ubiquitous like a network. However, it does not just mean the behavior of the upper class controlling the lower class. Foucault expands the connotation of power and forms his power theory. Power exercises goes through three stages:distinction, discipline and subjectification. As Foucault firmly believes, power is productive and one of the productions is the subject.The thesis consists of six parts. The first chapter introduces Sui Sin Far and her Mrs. Spring Fragrance and the literature review both at home and abroad. Foucault’s theory about power is presented in chapter two. How the subject is fettered by knowledge and power is the focus of this chapter. Chapter three explores the distinction and gaze Chinese American women encounter by detailed analysis of different characters through the employment of Foucault’s theory of Panopticon. Discipline follows the distinction closely, which will be carefully examined in chapter four. Disciplinary power determines people’s manner of living. The kind of disciplinary power imposed on different individuals is quite different. As a result, Pau Lin, Pau Tsu, Mrs. Spring Fragrance and other Chinese women have different fates. Though they are all Chinese American women figures, the process of their subjectification varies from one to another. Chapter five demonstrates Chinese American women’s subjectification through anti-discipline. However, no matter how hard they resist against the discipline, they cannot escape from being gazed and disciplined due to the operation of power. In essence, the subject is produced due to the disciplinary power imposed upon modern people.Sui Sin Far is more interested in the living condition of the marginalized people than the identity issues. Not only Chinese American women but also all the people in the world may confront the power imposed on them. In a word, the aesthetic concern towards human beings, especially Chinese American women in Mrs. Spring Fragrance maintains greater value compared by the other themes.