Study On The Characteristics Of Diaspora Literature In Mrs. Spring Fragrance

This thesis attempts to interpret the literary characteristics of diaspora in Sui Sin Far‘s collection Mrs.Spring Fragrance by the guide of diaspora criticism.Through analyzing the diaspora context and complicated identity of Chinese characters in the conflict of unfair cultural crossing and Sui Sin Far‘s ethnicity writing for Chinese Americans,the characteristics of diasporic literature in the collection could be generally demonstrated.Chapter one is an introduction to Edith Maude Eaton,who is generally known as Sui Sin Far and her only published collection Mrs.Spring Fragrance.Then this chapter presents the main branches of relevant studies at home and abroad and indicates some gaps which alludes to my research background and significance.The last segment in this chapter introduces the diaspora criticism which directs the framework of the thesis.Chapter two illustrates the geographical and psychological diaspora in the short stories.All of Chinese characters shifted into foreign space under widely differing forces and reasons,Sui Sin Far precisely presents the diasporic context by means of depicting the external surroundings and internal emotions.This thesis traces the presence of American cities and the Chinatown and the represent of nostalgia in the text,which consists of the diaspora context.Chapter three analyzes three reflections in pursuit of identity under the theory of Homi K.Bhabha.Sui Sin Far highlights the identity issue of her Chinese characters in diaspora,they reflect to their identity anxiety with different stance.Mrs.Spring Fragrance and Wan Lin Fo are willing to accept the Americanness and to imitate white Americans;Pau Lin and Pau Tsu standing in the opposition to dominant American culture,they were tristful and suffocated;the adult Pan and the kid Pan are the sign of multicultural integration and the new hybridity of identity.Chapter four discusses the ethnicity writing behind the characterization in Mrs.Spring Fragrances.In the era of Eaton,white supremacy prevailed in society.The sense of justice and the Chinese complex drove Eaton to articulate for the Chinese American who could not efficiently protest to the defiance against them.She tries to clean up the stereotype of the yellow peril? for the Chinese community and to portray Chinatown and Chinese subject that constructs new image of Chinese.Chapter five is a conclusion for my thesis.It summarizes the analysis of the diaspora literature characteristics in Mrs.Spring Fragrance which is the pioneering work in the history of Chinese American literature,and the purpose of diaspora criticism is later than the birth of this collection.Under the new rising perspective,Sui Sin Far‘s works present cultural values and aesthetics across the times.