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An Analysis of the Changing Identities of Chinese Women

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An Analysis of the Changing Identities of Chinese Women AN ANALYSIS OF THE CHANGING IDENTITIES OF CHINESE WOMEN AS REFLECTED IN CONTEMPORARY WORKS OF DIASPORAL CHINESE FEMINIST WRITERS A DISSERTATION BY INTIRA CHARUCHINDA Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree in English at Srinakharinwirot University September 2006 AN ANALYSIS OF THE CHANGING IDENTITIES OF CHINESE WOMEN AS REFLECTED IN CONTEMPORARY WORKS OF DIASPORAL CHINESE FEMINIST WRITERS AN ABSTRACT BY INTIRA CHARUCHINDA Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree in English at Srinakharinwirot University September 2006 Intira Charuchida. (2006) An Analysis of the Changing of Identities of Chinese Women as Reflected in Contemporary Works of Diasporal Chinese Feminist Writers. Dissertation, Ph.D. (English). Bangkok: Graduate School, Srinakharinwirot Univeristy. Advisor Committee: Asst. Prof. Dr. Amporn Srisermbhok, Dr. Supaporn Yimwilai, Prof. Dr. Richard C. Buckstead Keywords: Identities, Chinese Women, Feminism, Contemporary Works, Literature The purpose of this study is to analyze the changing identities of Chinese women as reflected in contemporary works of diasporal Chinese feminist writers. An approach to understanding the changing identities of Chinese women demands an analysis of different periods of times and place to be examined in their full complexity. The selected works include texts written between the last decade of the twentieth century and the very beginning years of the first millennium of different diasporal feminist Chinese writers. These are Jung Chang’s Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China (1991), Denise Chong’s The Concubine’s Children (1993), Adeline Yeh Mah’s Falling Leaves (1997) and Amy Tan’s The Bonesetter’s Daughter (2001). Chapter 1 provides an overview of landscape and the stereotype of Chinese women from the earliest time of the Confucian up to recent years as depicted by western and Chinese writers. Chapter 2 discusses Confucianism and Communism as the precarious predicaments for women as reflected in Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China. Chapter 3 examines The Concubine’s Children in which the protagonists changed their identities because of their relinquishment of Chinese illusion in the western reality. Chapter 4 looks at a reflection of patriarchal practices in the old days and the modern times as revealed in Falling Leaves. The analysis discovers the dilemma of a Chinese woman whose textual ground was built on patriarchal practices and western colonialism. Chapter 5 examines the changing identities of three women of different generations which arise from true alliances between mothers and daughters, as envisioned in The Bonesetter’s Daughter. Chapter 6 makes a conclusion, and compares the presentation of Chinese women in these selected literary works. This study concludes these works illustrate that the changing identities of Chinese women emanate from their power to define themselves and to reject the patriarchal discourse. การวิเคราะหการเปลี่ยนแปลงอัตลักษณของสตรีจีน ที่ปรากฏในงานเขียนรวมสมัยของนักเขียนสตรีเชื้อสายจีนโพนทะเล บทคัดยอ ของ อินทิรา จารุจินดา เสนอตอบัณฑิตวิทยาลัย มหาวิทยาลัยศรีนครินทรวิโรฒ เพื่อเปนสวนหนึ่ง ของการศึกษาตามหลักสูตรปริญญาศิลปศาสตรดุษฎีบัณฑิต สาขาวิชาภาษาอังกฤษ กันยายน 2549 อินทิรา จารุจนดาิ . (2549) การวิเคราะหการเปล ี่ยนแปลงอัตลักษณของสตรีจีนที่ปรากฏในงานเขยนรี วม สมัยของนกเขั ยนสตรี ีเชื้อสายจีนโพนทะเล . ปริญญานพนธิ ศศ.ด. (ภาษาอังกฤษ) กรงเทพฯุ บัณฑิตวทยาลิ ัย มหาวทยาลิ ยศรั ีนครินทรวิโรฒ. คณะกรรมการควบคุม : ผูชวยศาสตราจารย ดร. อัมพร ศรีเสริมโภค, อาจารย ดร. สุภาภรณ ยิ้มวิลยั , ศาสตราจารย ดร. ริชารด ซี บัคสเตด คําสําคัญ: อัตลักษณ สตรีจนี สตรีนิยม งานเขียนรวมสมัย วรรณคดี การศึกษานี้มีวัตถุประสงคเพื่อศึกษาการเปลี่ยนแปลงทางอัตลักษณ ของสตรีจีนที่ปรากฏในงาน เขียนรวมสมัยของสตรีเชื้อสายจนโพี นทะเล เพื่อที่จะเขาใจการเปลยนแปลงทางอี่ ตลั ักษณนนเราจั้ ําเปนท ี่ ตองวิเคราะหท ั้งในเชิงมิติเวลา และสถานที่ เพื่อที่จะทราบถึงภาพรวม ดังนนผั้ วู ิจัยไดเลือกวรรณกรรม 4 เรื่องที่เขียนในชวงระหวางทศวรรษส ุดทายของศตวรรษที่ 20 ถงปึ แรกของการกาวเข าส ู สหัสวรรษใหม ไดแก เรื่อง Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China (1991) เขียนโดย จุง ฉาง เรื่อง The Concubine’s Children (1993) ของ เดนสิ ชอง เรื่อง Falling Leaves (1997) ของ อดีไลน เยน มา และเรื่อง The Bonesetter’s Daughter (2001) เขียนโดย เอม ี่ ตัน บทที่1 นาเสนอภํ ูมิหลังและ แบบฉบับ (stereotype) ของสตรีจีนที่เปนมาตงแตั้ ยคกุ อนตามคาสอนในลํ ทธั ิขงจื้อไลเรียงถึงปท ี่เพงผิ่ านมา ใน วรรณกรรมของนกเขั ียนชาวตะวันตก และของนักเขียนจนี บทที่ 2 อภปรายลิ ัทธิขงจอและลื้ ัทธิ คอมมิวนิสตลวนเป นสภาพการณ นําความทุกขมาสูสตรีจีน ดังที่ปรากฏในเรื่อง Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China บทที่ 3 กลาวถึงเรื่อง The Concubine’s Children ที่นาเสนอการเปลํ ี่ยนแปลง ทางอัตลักษณท ี่เกิดจากการเสื่อมสลายของภาพลวงตามแนวคติจีน ทามกลางความเป นจริงในโลก ตะวันตก บทที่ 4 อภิปรายภาพสะทอนระบบปตาธิปไตยในอดีตและในปจจุบนทั ปรากฏในงานเรี่ ื่อง Falling Leaves วรรณกรรมเรื่องนี้เสนอทางออกของสภาวการณที่สตรีจีนเผชิญกบระบบปั ตาธปไตยิ และลัทธิแสวงหาอาณานิคม (colonialism) บทที่ 5 กลาวถึงการเปลยนแปลงทางอี่ ตลั ักษณ ของสตรีจีน 3 คนในชวอายั่ ุที่ตางกนั การเปลี่ยนแปลงทางอัตลักลกษณั ของสตรีกลุมนี้เกิดจากสมพั ันธภาพอนแทั จริง ระหวางแม และลูกสาว ดังทปรากฏในนวนี่ ิยายเรื่อง The Bonesetter’s Daughter บทท ี่ 6 เปนการสร ุป การนาเสนอการเปลํ ี่ยนแปลงอัตลักษณของสตรีจีนในงานเขียนทงั้ 4 เรองนื่ ี้ พรอมทั้งเปรียบเทยบระหวี าง งานเขียนเหลาน ี้กบในวรรณกรรมอั ื่น ผูวจิ ัยสรุปวา ในงานเขียน 4 เรื่องนี้แสดงใหเหนการเปล็ ยนแปลงี่ ทางอัตลักษณของสตร ีจีนเกดจากพลิ งของตนเองั ที่ใหคํานิยามตนเอง และปฏิเสธวาทกรรมปตาธปไตยิ AN ANALYSIS OF THE CHANGING IDENTITIES OF CHINESE WOMEN AS REFLECTED IN CONTEMPORARY WORKS OF DIASPORAL CHINESE FEMINIST WRITERS A DISSERTATION BY INTIRA CHARUCHINDA Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree in English at Srinakharinwirot University September 2006 Copyright 2006 by Srinakharinwirot University The dissertation titled “An Analysis of the Changing Identities of Chinese Women as Reflected in Contemporary Works of Diasporal Chinese Feminist Writers” by Intira Charuchinda has been approved by the Graduate School as partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree in English of Srinakharinwirot University. ……………………………………………………Dean of the Graduate School (Assistant Professor Dr. Pensiri Jeradechakul) September ...., 2006 Oral Defense Committee .…………………………………………………………….. Chair (Assistant Professor Dr. Amporn Srisermbhok) .….………………………………………………….…..……Co-advisor (Dr. Supaporn Yimwilai) ……………………………………………………………….Co-advisor (Professor Dr. Richard C. Buckstead) ..….……………………………………….......…………….. Reader (Dr. Sutassi Smuthkochorn) … .…………………………………………………. ………. Reader (Associate Professor Dr. Supanee Chinnawongs) Acknowledgements Literature would be a milestone for a student who has very little background. Therefore, I wish to express my deep gratitude to my advisor, and my chair--Assistant Professor Dr. Amporn Srisermbhok-- who always encourages her students to think big and aim high. She guided me from the beginning, and supported me to the accomplishment. I would like to thank Dr. Supaporn Yimwilai, my co-advisor, for her valuable comments on my writing. Her advice is like a mirror, which reflects my weakness. With her help, I have learned to write academically and to be concerned about my readers. I am also grateful to Professor Dr. Richard C. Buckstead, my co-advisor, and my beloved visiting professor-- for not only his contributions to this work but also his teaching. He has provided an access to many great literary works. His presentations became my background knowledge to further study. I extend my gratitude to Dr. Sutassi Smuthkochorn, whose meticulous refinement enhanced its focus. For constructive suggestions, and research methodology, I would like to thank Associate Professor Dr. Supanee Chinnawongs—my external reader from Chulalongkorn University Language Institute. I extend my appreciation to my coursework instructors, namely Assistant Professor Dr.Tipa Thep-Ackrapong, Assistant Professor Dr. Nitaya Suksaeresup, Dr. Wanlapa Thaijinda, Dr. Saiwaroon Chumpavan whose teachings were directly and indirectly useful for this dissertation. Additionally, I am blessed to have teachers in the Western Language Department --Ajarn Sirinna Boonyasaquan, Ajarn Tuanta Laosooksri, Ajarn Nittaya Wangkangwan-- whose consolations have empowered me move forwards the goal. I never forget that my colleagues at Rajanagarin Rajabhat University who relieved my teaching burden during my sabbatical leave. I realize that my salary received from the government made possible for me to afford both academic fare, and personal expenditures. Apart from people in academia, I also have ones in my personal life who were a source of my strength. My husband, Group Commander Kitti Charuchinda, always listened to my talks. My uncle and his wife, Khun Anan and Khun Pornsom Paopramot helped me to overcome any computer problems. Assistant Professor Dr. Nopparat Suaysuwan offered me a large collection of books to use as references. In addition, my only classmate, Ajarn Jongkit Wongpinit, walked along with me during this long period. Furthermore, Ajarn Kanokwan Cadet always shared my feelings of relief, anxiety, happiness and stress. I would like to thank them all. I am indebted to my widowed mother who has been pulling our family though harsh times for more than twenty years. As well as I am indebted to my father who paved the education as a path for the bright future for this daughter. I would like to thank for our bond among my sisters and my brothers of the Limsongprots,
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