Survival And Development Of Chinese Canadians: Study Of Interpersonal Relationships In Disappearing Moon Cafe

Chinese-Canadian female writer Sky Lee’s first and only novel Disappearing Moon Cafe was published in 1990 in Vancouver, and received immediate praise from readers and attention from critics. Through describing the survival story of four generations of Chinese immigrants in Canada, the novel depicts delicately entangled gender relationships that exhibit a gradual, generational evolution and integration of Chinese Canadians in the passage of history. The historical and cultural influences on gender relationships among individuals and group deserve a thorough study.Two lines are juxtaposed in this thesis, history and culture, to explore the male-male, malefemale, and female-female relationships in the novel, which aims at clearly analyzing the factors generating hostility and hospitality among the individuals, via a detailed discussion of the social background and Chinese culture in between, to highlight the point that the ultimate way for Chinese-Canadians to prosper is to accept and internalize the root cultures lying in depth of their descent.The thesis consists of three chapters. The first chapter explains the drastically different relationship of emotion, dominance and rejection among males, with the attempt to identify the different social and cultural influences that foster the delicate relationships. Males of the four generations have gone through various emotional experiences, due to the presence and absence of the same Chinese culture. Father-son relationship and kinship are explored in this aspect. The Chinese community has asked the individuals to abide by the rules in Canada to avoid persecution to the largest extent, trying to secure the community in a repressive environment. Thus, the group has a dominant role in guarding the individuals. Individuals, on the other hand, have mostly been brought up in Canadian culture, and hope to get rid of the identity that has been a shackle to their prosperity as an individual. The different kinds of relationships among males have just exhibited the impact of understanding and acquisition or misunderstanding and lack of Chinese culture on individuals, which leads to the unhappiness of male individuals.The second charter focuses on the relationship between male and female, and observes an accumulative change from detachment, to support and equality. The discussion is completed through a look at generational relationship to emphasize the evolution in individuals’ internalization of gender culture. The first-generation couple is the sacrifice of feudal and patriarchal power, where women are simply property of men and enjoy little prospect of happiness. The second-generation spouses are able to learn to support each other to acquire economic independence and psychological assurance, yet succumbs to the standing patriarchy. The third generation and fourth generation have received equal playing field in terms of education and economy, thus possessing free and liberal mind that can accommodate each other and challenge the authority. Due to the different level of education and social background, the fate and relationship between both genders have also been sealed contingently, a showcase of the advancement of history, and the collision and integration of various cultures, yet the wellbeing of females is still at the yoke of family and history.The third chapter explores the discovery of female identification, a process of dependence, rivalry and reconciliation, with the examination of the mentality of females in face of their struggle to find their worth. The carefree females have nothing to compete for, but only each other to rely on for their own happiness and security. Females tend to harm each other to sustain what they deem as their only value as a woman in family, and create tension for the ownership and control they hold close to. The reconciliation of family history and female identity has peeled shame and confusion off the female self, thus achieving the harmonious coexistence. The core value of the thesis is thus highlighted that the ultimate survival and development of overseas Chinese depend on the understanding and assimilation of Chinese culture.The thesis shows that the clash between genders comes from the lack of mutual understanding of culture, and suggests that harmony can appear when both genders acquire the same level of cultural awareness and accommodative spirit to tolerate and empathize each other. Besides, for Chinese individuals, clear identification and full self-development can be constructed by correctly locating themselves in a multicultural environment to get rid of the puzzlement.