介绍:
The Moon Lady, Queen Mother of the Western Skies, and the magpies of good luck. By using these myths and symbolisms in her bestselling novel "The Joy Luck Club," not only did Amy Tan capture the interest of millions of readers, it also gave mainstream America an insight into Chinese-American culture.
In her most recent book, The Valley of Amazement, Tan also touched upon Chinese folktales and legends along with the familiar theme of mother-daughter relationships.
However, she is not the only writer to use this device. Many other Chinese-American authors have used similar methods in their storytelling. According to UCLA professor, King-Kok Cheung, the ability to blend in tales from their childhood into their work is part of what made Chinese-American writers successful.
Soundbite #1/Female/English
"It's part of their identity. You grow up with stories and these stories are supposed to tell a moral tale. A lot of Chinese folktales are very memorable. I still teach things like Journey to the West to my American kids. It's what makes you special. It adds to the writing. It's not any different from any writers who are very creative and use whatever they can from their imagination. It enriches their imagination as oppose to just the stereotypical American tales."
Fairy tales like The Moon Lady and tales of bravery such as Mulan can often be seen in Chinese-American literature. In fact, award-winning novelist Maxine Hong Kingston featured the story of Mulan prominently in her book, The Woman Warrior. Throughout the five chapters of the novel, Kingston blends autobiography with old Chinese folktales. According to Professor Cheung, the story was used by Kingston as a symbol of feminism in her book about a time when women were suppressed.
Soundbite#2/female/English
"I think for Kingston, who was born in the 1940s, was a time when both American and Chinese culture was extremely sexist. To think about warriors — women warriors, someone who is so different from the teaching she is subjected to. So it's very refreshing. That's why I think they are particularly attracted to these stories."
Apart from women warriors, later generations of writers such as Marilyn Chin also uses Liao-Zhai or Chinese ghost stories, which features powerful female ghost figures and fox women.
Works by Kingston and Marilyn Chin are often taught in universities across America. The Woman Warrior has been reported by the Modern Language Association as the most commonly taught text in modern university education. It has been used in disciplines as far reaching as American literature, anthropology, Asian studies, psychology and women's studies.
However, it's not only female writers who use Chinese folklore in their writing. According to Cheung, male novelists, poets and screenwriters also use these stories to combat racism and Chinese stereotypes.
Soundbite #3/female/English
"There's this stereotype about the Asian-American minority that they're seen as being more feminine, for instance. Not just women but men also. The men are much more interested in exploring issues about masculinity. They want to reinvent a heroic tradition. You have Frank Chin writing Donald Duck, which is totally using Shui Hu Zhuan in his work to reclaim a heroic past."
Shui Hu Zhuan, or Outlaws of the Marsh, is an account of the exploits of righteous fugitives living during the Song Dynasty.
Issues explored in novels by Chinese-American writers don't just relate to Chinese-Americans. What makes these books so enjoyable by readers around the world is the universality of their themes. Cheung says all ethnic groups in America can identify with subjects concerning intergenerational differences and the search for their identity in the melting pot of the world.
Soundbite #4/female/English
"It's something all hyphenated Americans write about. Definitely not just Chinese-Americans. Society makes them think about their own identity rather than what they are really interested in. It's the kind of thing they face everyday. When someone asks them why they speak English so well or where are they from. It makes them think why they're different from their friends."
By putting their struggles and experience to words, Chinese-American writers have not only helped to dispel stereotypes regarding Asian Americans but also educated the public about their own history and culture.
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