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Construction of Malaysian Chineseness Through Biometaphors in Malaysian Chinese Literature in English

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Construction of Malaysian Chineseness Through Biometaphors in Malaysian Chinese Literature in English UNIVERSITI PUTRA MALAYSIA CONSTRUCTION OF MALAYSIAN CHINESENESS THROUGH BIOMETAPHORS IN MALAYSIAN CHINESE LITERATURE IN ENGLISH CHONG SENG TONG FBMK 2015 42 CONSTRUCTION OF MALAYSIAN CHINESENESS THROUGH BIOMETAPHORS IN MALAYSIAN CHINESE LITERATURE IN ENGLISH UPM By CHONG SENG TONG Thesis Submitted to the School of Graduate Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia, COPYRIGHTin Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy © December 2015 All material contained within the thesis, including without limitation text, logos, icons, photographs and all other artwork, is copyright material of Universiti Putra Malaysia unless otherwise stated. Use may be made of any material contained within the thesis for non-commercial purposes from the copyright holder. Commercial use of material may only be made with the express, prior, written permission of Universiti Putra Malaysia. Copyright © Universiti Putra Malaysia UPM COPYRIGHT © Abstract of thesis presented to the Senate of University Putra Malaysia in fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy CONSTRUCTION OF MALAYSIAN CHINESENESS THROUGH BIOMETAPHORS IN MALAYSIAN CHINESE LITERATURE IN ENGLISH By CHONG SENG TONG December 2015 Chairman: Zalina Mohd Kasim, PhD Faculty: Modern Languages and Communication This thesis examines the interaction between human and nonhuman (animals, plants and abiotic elements) from a biologically oriented perspective. ItUPM reads contemporary Malaysian literature in English written by Malaysian Chinese authors. Reading these bodies of texts from a biological perspective challenges the way we think about human and nonhuman interaction, specifically in relation to Malaysian Chinese and their cultures. Drawing various scientific rubrics from biological science as the theoretical frameworks can provide insightful reading and findings. With Conceptual Metaphor Theory as its methodological framework, this thesis examines the biophilic ideological construct of “Malaysian Chineseness” revealed in the works of Tan Twan Eng, Ho Thean Fook, Tash Aw, Khoo Kheng Har and Chong Seck Chim. The key findings indicate that the Malaysian Chinese use very specific to universal biometaphors in ideas construction. In addition, the Malaysian Chineseness is biophilic, which suggests the existence of harmony and peace with the environment as well as with the influence of Malaysian Chinese religion. Chapter one brings together many theoretical and current concerns that provide an impetus for the onset of this thesis. It sets out as a starting point for the research journey. Chapter two discusses literature on biophilia hypothesis, a theoretical framework from the biological science in relation to Malaysian Chinese. It also discusses the biological reading of literary texts within the broader scope of Malaysian Chineseness. Chapter three explains the methodological framework with step by step procedures, in detail. The procedure is divided into metaphor identification, metaphor interpretation and metaphor explanation. Chapter four is devoted to the analysis and discussion of the research pertaining to linking biometaphors, biophilia and Malaysian Chineseness. Lastly, chapter five concludes the entire research by revealing the ideaCOPYRIGHT of Malaysian Chineseness. © i Abstrak tesis yang dikemukakan kepada Senat Universiti Putra Malaysia sebagai memenuhi keperluan untuk ijazah Doktor Falsafah PEMBENTUKAN KECINAAN MALAYSIA MELALUI BIOMETAFORA DALAM SASTERA INGGERIS DI MALAYSIA Oleh CHONG SENG TONG Disember 2015 Pengerusi: Zalina Mohd Kasim, PhD Fakulti: Bahasa Moden dan Komunikasi Tesis ini mengaji interaksi antara manusia dan elemen bukan manusia (alam flora, alam fauna dan elemen abiotik) dari perspektif yang berorientasikanUPM biologi. Tesis ini focus kepada sastera kontemporari Inggeris yang ditulis oleh pengarang berbangsa cina dari Malaysia. Teks dibaca dari perspektif biologi untuk mengkaji interaksi antara manusia dan bukan manusia, khususnya yang berhubung dengan isu-isu falsafah kehidupan dan kebudayaan orang Cina Malaysia. Pelbagai konsep dari sains biologi digunakan sebagai kerangka teori. Teori metafora pula berfungsi sebagai rangka kaedah penyelidikan yang dapat membantu dalam pembinaan ideologi biofilik dan “ Kecinaan Malaysia” yang ditunjukkan dalam karya Tan Twan Eng, Ho Thean Fook, Tash Aw, Khoo Kheng Har dan Chong Seck Chim. Dapatan kajian ini membuktikan bahawa Cina Malaysia menggunakan biometafora yang sangat spesifik dan juga yang universal dalam pembentukan idea. Kajian ini juga menyimpulkan bahawa identiti Cina Malaysia adalah biofilik dimana kehidupan yang harmoni dan aman damai dengan persekitaran adalah dipengaruhi oleh agama Cina Malaysia. Bab satu merupakan pendahuluan kepada tesis ini serta membincangkan kerangka teori dan isu-isu semasa yang menjadi fokus kepada tesis ini. Ia juga merupakan titik permulaan bagi penyelidikan ini. Bab dua membincangkan kajian literatur tentang hipotesis biofilia dari bidang sains biologi yang merupakan satu kerangka teori dalam penyelidikan ini. Bab ini juga membincangkan pembacaan teks sastera Inggeris dalam skop kecinaan Malaysia. Bab tiga menerangkan kaedah penyelidikan serta prosedur analisis secara terperinci. Prosedur dibahagikan kepada pengenalan metafora, tafsiran metafora dan penjelasan metafora. Bab empat fokus kepada analisis dan perbincangan kajian yang berkaitan dengan biometafora, biofilia dan kecinaan di Malaysia. Akhirnya, bab lima merumuskan keseluruhan penyelidikan yang berfokusCOPYRIGHT kepada kecinaan Malaysia. © ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The thesis took me more than seven years, and seven years is not a short journey, and I know. There are a lot of people whom I need to thank. The arrangement is directly linked to the production of my thesis. To My Lord Jesus Christ, Amen. To my supervisor, Dr Zalina Mohd Kasim, who rescued me from the “tragedy” and see me through the journey. To my best friend, Ng Yu Jin, who is too overwhelmed that no word can ever, ever describe him, he is “the theory of everything”. To my colleague in UNITEN, Dr Yap Boon Kar, who kept telling me that this thesis should have been done long long long ago. To My dean, Pak Arif, who gave me the opportunities, and kept reminding me that life, is, really, really, not just this thesis. To a special friend, Zoe Lim, and with whom I shall bury my thoughts inUPM a secret place, and it is the tyranny of choice. To my brother Kee Shyuan and sister Su Yee, who were there, are there and will be there, the constant in the river of time. To My miracles, Yong Bing and Cia Fen, Yong Kai, Yong Zhi, You have tamed me 有一种超越叫懂得 COPYRIGHT © iii I certify that a Thesis Examination Committee has met on (date of viva voce) to conduct the final examination of Chong Seng Tong with his thesis entitled “CONSTRUCTION OF MALAYSIAN CHINESENESS THROUGH BIOMETAPHORS IN MALAYSIAN CHINESE LITERATURE IN ENGLISH” in accordance with the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971 and the Constitution of the Universiti Putra Malaysia [P.U. (A) 106] 15 March 1998. The Committee recommends that the student be awarded the relevant degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Members of the Thesis Examination Committee were as follows: Shamala Paramasivam, PhD Associate Professor Faculty of Modern Languages and Communication Universiti Putra Malaysia (Chairman) UPM Ain Nadzimah Abdullah, PhD Associate Professor Faculty of Modern Languages and Communication Universiti Putra Malaysia (Internal Examiner) Wan Roselezam Wan Yahya, PhD Associate Professor Faculty of Modern Languages and Communication Universiti Putra Malaysia (Internal Examiner) Lixian Jin, PhD Professor Centre for Intercultural Research in Communication and Learning De Montfort University, UK (External Examiner) _________________________ Zulkarnain Zainal, PhD Professor and Deputy Dean COPYRIGHT School of Graduate Studies Universiti Putra Malaysia Date: © iv This thesis submitted to the Senate of Universiti Putra Malaysia has been accepted as fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. The members of the Supervisory committee were as follows: Zalina Mohd Kasim, PhD Senior Lecturer Faculty of Modern Languages and Communication Universiti Putra Malaysia (Chairman) Afida Mohamad Ali, PhD Senior Lecturer Faculty of Modern Languages and Communication Universiti Putra Malaysia (Member) UPM Hardev Kaur Jujar Singh, PhD Senior Lecturer Faculty of Modern Languages and Communication Universiti Putra Malaysia (Member) ______________________ Bujang Kim Huat, PhD Professor and Dean School of Graduate Studies Universiti Putra Malaysia COPYRIGHT Date: © v Declaration by graduate student I hereby confirm that: this thesis is my original work; quotations, illustrations and citations have been duly referenced; this thesis has not been submitted previously or concurrently for any other degree at any other institutions; intellectual property from the thesis and copyright of thesis are fully-owned by Universiti Putra Malaysia, as according to the Universiti Putra Malaysia (Research) Rules 2012; written permission must be obtained from supervisor and the office of Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation) before thesis is published (in the form of written, printed or in electronic form) including books, journals, modules, proceedings, popular writings, seminar papers, manuscripts, posters, reports, lecture notes, learning modules or any other materials as stated in the Universiti Putra Malaysia (Research) Rules 2012; UPM there is no plagiarism or data falsification/fabrication
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