摘要
在亚裔/华裔美国文学与亚裔/华裔美国文学评论领域里,当今美
国第五代华裔作家赵健秀(Frank Chin)无疑是个极重要的角色,被誉
为“亚裔美国文学奠基人”。赵健秀倡导真正的华裔历史,弘扬中国传
统的英雄主义精神。他用写作这个锐利的武器,以文学文本的形式与白
人至上的主流社会展开了激战。本文从他的第一部长篇小说《唐老亚》
入手,用新历史主义批评方法,着重剖析《唐老亚》中主人公对美国
华裔历史的颠覆。
本篇论文分为五部分:
第一部分:介绍。鉴于赵健秀在国内还不是一个家喻户晓的作家,
首先对作者的生平、作品和创作思想进行评述。然后介绍本篇论文所
采用的新历史主义批评方法,就涉及本文的“大历史”和“小历史”、
“颠覆”、“霸权话语和边缘话语”三个理论进行具体阐释。
第二部分:颠覆的前提和条件:从对华裔历史与文化的背离到对
华裔历史与文化的再认识。简约介绍作品所依托的华工筑路史和华裔
文化背景。剖析主人公唐纳德在主流社会的正统教育影响下,背离华
裔历史和文化,认为自己完全等同于美国白人。主人公对学校和家庭
有关华裔的不同教育产生困惑,经查证后,认清了美国主流社会故意
歪曲华工修筑铁路的事实,重新认识了华裔历史和文化,并因自己是
华裔而自豪。
第三部分:颠覆的策略。父亲自身所体现的热情好客、扶弱济贫、
不卑不亢等华裔人格特点给予唐纳德良好的文化传统教育。父亲和伯
父一直用中华民族的英雄主义形象如关羽、宋江、岳飞等英雄人物所
体现出的忠义美德,对唐纳德进行族裔传统思想教育。华裔的文化和
思想教育逐渐冲淡了唐纳德头脑中主流社会的正统教育理念,帮助唐
纳德完成了梦境中的自我教育,为他用“小历史”颠覆“大历史”作
好策略准备。
第四部分:颠覆的实施与结果。主人公在课堂上当众颠覆了历史
老师对华裔的刻板印象和种族歧视,指出华工对修建太平洋铁硼做
出的贡献。同时为华裔争取平等权利提出一条途径一团结白人中的
同情者,与白人至上的种族主义分子做坚决的斗争。
第五部分:结论。主人公并不是要颠覆整个华裔史,而是颠覆被
霸脱语歪曲的那一部分。小说结尾处主人公欣然回归族裔这一行动
具有很强的现实意义:他并不是号召华部完全退居华裔族群,固守
华裔文化,而是倡导华裔既应保留自身文化传统,又要改变作为边缘
族群的心态,积极参与各种政治活动,成为美国多元文化中的一员。
这是华裔融入美国主流社会的最佳途径。
Frank Chin, the fifth generation of Chinese American in America, is an outstanding writer. Through his contributions to historical literature heritage in the fields of Asian/Chinese American literature and Asian/Chinese American literary review, he was entitled "the founder of Asian American literature" by advocating real Chinese American history, and the spirit of Chinese traditional heroism. Frank Chin fights with white supremacy in mainstream society and demonstrates through his sharp writing skills and literary form that "the pen is mightier than the sword". In this thesis, I highlight an analysis of the protagonist's subversion idea to Chinese American history in Donald Duk, Frank Chin's first novel, through the application of New Historicism approach. The thesis falls into five parts: Part One: Introduction
It is requisite to present a brief introduction of Frank Chin and his Donald Duk, as they are still unfamiliar to most Chinese students and readers. This is followed by an illustration of the approach of New Historicism, drawing special attention to some terms as "History" (大历史) and "history" (小历史) , "subversion", and "hegemonic discourse and marginalized discourse" related to this thesis.
Part Two: The Premise and Condition of Subversion: From Rejecting to Re-recognizing the Chinese American History and Culture
A brief introduction of the Chinese American history and culture performs an important role in outlining the background of this thesis. Donald Duk rejects the Chinese American culture and regards himself as one of the white Americans because of the orthodox education of mainstream society. However, Donald Duk is confused about the difference of attitudes towards Chinese American between his father and his history
teacher, the different performance of Chinese American laborers in railway building between his dreams and orthodox history. After checking the historical records in the library, Donald Duk realizes that the real Chinese American history has been distorted by mainstream society. Donald Duk re-recognizes Chinese American history and culture and shows his proudness of being a Chinese American. Part Three: The Strategies of Subversion: Education
Donald's father educates and influences Donald with his own personalities: conducting himself with personal dignity, warm hospitality, generous contribution and support to the weak play the culture heritage educational role on Donald. Donald Duk's father and uncle persuade him frequently to learn by heart Chinese traditional heroic heritage and images, such as Kwan Kung (关公)))))
Lee Kuey (李逵) , Soong Gong (宋江) and Ngawk Fay (岳飞) . The loyalty to nations and faith to colleagues and friends of these heroes take the function of the ethnic thought education. Both the culture heritage and the ethnic thought education take place of the orthodox education of the mainstream society and help Donald realize his self-education by dreams so that he can prepare strategies to subvert "History" with "history". Part Four: The Action and Result of Subversion
The protagonist subverts his history teacher's stereotype and discrimination towards Chinese Americans in class and points out Chinese laborers' contributions to the Central Pacific railway building. His action indicates a better solution of Chinese American's gaining equal rights -fighting against the white supremacists by uniting with the whites who have sympathy for Chinese Americans. Part Five: The Conclusion
The real purpose of Donald Duk's work is not to subvert the Chinese American history completely, but only to do so in part. More realistic meanings can be seen from Donald Duk's reconnection with his Chinese
American roots at the end of the novel. The returning to his roots is not simply to withdraw to his race community to bear the tribulation, but is "a corkscrew development" of the protagonist. Chinese Americans should maintain their ancestral heritage and change their identical psychology of marginalized status, and should participate in more political activit
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