The Dynamics of Kimberly Chang’s Post-colonial Identities Seen through the Strategies of Abrogation and Appropriation in Jean Kwok’s Novel Girl in Translation Chinintya Suma Ningtyas Usma Nur Dian Rosyidah English Department, Universitas Airlangga
Abstract
This study aims to identify the Post-colonial identities of a diaspora seen through the use language. Language can be regarded as a medium to exert the power of the colonizer to the colonized. However, language can also reflect how much the Colonized has been influenced by the colonizer. A person is considered as diaspora because he/she moves from his/her homeland to a new land. A person who moves from a non-English speaking country to an English speaking country is challenged to adopt the ‘standard’ English. This issue is seen in the portrayal of the main character in Jean Kwok’s Girl in Translation named Kimberly Chang. The study uses Post-colonial theory, especially the strategies of abrogation and appropriation to analyze the use of language by the main character, Kimberly Chang. The writers collect the data from all dialogues of Kimberly Chang. The study reveals that the impact of British colonization, the origin as a Chinese Diaspora and the use of language that is divided into three phases reflect the dynamics of Kimberly Chang’s Post-colonial identity. Her dynamic Post-colonial identity results in unhomeliness, in-between-ness and hybridity. Keywords: abrogation, appropriation, chinese diaspora, post-colonial identity
Introduction Colonialism gives huge impacts on human history. The colonized people must face the problem of behaviour and mental attitudes which cause them to be exploited in many ways; such as racism, taking away people’s right, stealing the natural resources and dominating their original land (Alfred 3). Colonialism occurs since a long time ago. Many countries had been colonized by colonial power. The Colonial Power, such as British, came and dominated colonized countries, such as Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, etc. One of the biggest colonial power, The British Empire, did not only expand its territory to the annexed countries, but also oppressed the colonized people. The British colonial power dominated the countries as well as the people both physically and mentally. Invasion affects many aspects such as politic, economic, culture, and social. One form of colonizer’s domination towards the colonized is language. Language can be a medium to exert the colonizer’s power on the colonized. As stated by Ismail L. Thalib, “The close relationship between language and empire was recognized right from the start of western expansion” (5). Language and colonialism are related each other. It is the result of British expansion that spread English to the colonized land. However, language also reflects how much the colonized has been influenced by the Colonizer. This consequence is still perceived by the colonized people until the present days. Language is very much cultural expressions and somehow reflects how much certain culture affects someone, in this case the colonized. According to Bill Ashcroft, “Language is adopted as a tool and utilized in various ways to express widely differing cultural experiences” (38). Cultural experience represents identity. The colonizer’s cultural influence as well as cultural oppression are apparent in the use the language of the colonizer by the colonized. Besides, the encounter between the colonizer and the colonized needs a medium to communicate. The language is considered as the main instrument to communicate between each other (Tyson 422). The first contact between Hong Kong and the British Empire was where they met due to trade business of tea and porcelain in the late 17th (Setter 6). They used English as the major communication medium
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(103-105). Hong Kong consists of 95% of Ethnic Chinese (Setter 3). Hong Kong still respects the traditional Chinese culture which are related to their Chinese roots (7). However, the impact of British colonization has caused Hong Kong people live in modern ideals which might be different with the “pure” Chinese living in the mainland. At present, many Hong Kong people believes that English creates a better future They believe thet English help them to have opportunity to upgrade their social status as it is used in official purposes. However, using English and Chinese at the same time will make some trouble of using “standard” English itself. English is not Hong Kong’s mother tongue and it can make a problem in which English becomes “english”. The problem of Hong Kong people’s identity crisis will be more complicated if they move to a new land. As diaspora, they have to survive in their new land as they are forced to interact with the people in the new land by communication. Without a good communication, the diaspora will be very hard to survive in the new land. The language strategies used by diaspora and the identity crisis they face are the main issues depicted in Girl in Translation written by Chinese-American writer, Jean Kwok. Girl in Translation tells about a young girl, a Chinese-American immigrant, named Kimberly Chang. The identity crisis experienced by diaspora will expose the post-colonial identity which is always in process. According to Jodi Dovis, “The development of the identity is an evolutionary process.” (9). It means that identity is dynamic since it grows and develops due to new experiences. The dynamic identity is a portrait of self-image like childhood to adulthood. The portrait of self-image can represent the dynamics of the post-colonial identity because identity may change through process. Those problems attract the writer’s attention to question Kimberly Chang’s Post-colonial identities. As a diaspora, Kimberly faces Post-colonial identity crises in the United States. One point to question her post-colonial identity crises is the use of language. The use of language shows how Kimberly challenges the use of ‘Standard’ English in the United States. There are two strategies in post-colonial language. The first is called Abrogation. According to Bill Ashcroft in The Empire Writes Back, Abrogation is a refusal of the categories of the imperial culture, its aesthetic, its illusory standard of normative or ‘correct’ usage, and its assumption of a traditional and fixed meaning ‘inscribed’ in the words. It is a vital moment in the de-colonizing of the language and the writing of ‘english’ (37). The other strategy is called appropriation which is defined as “Language constitutes reality in an obvious way: it provides some terms and not others with which to talk about the world” (43). According to Ashcroft, abrogation is the strategy applied when diaspora people try to ignore the use of Standard English since it is not their mother tongue. The strategy of abrogation usually comes together with appropriation. Appropriation is used by diaspora to adopt the process of ‘standard’ English. The meaning of the adoption process is based on the Kimberly Chang’s cultural background. Thus, this article will analyze Kimberly Chang’s abrogation and appropriation in order to find out her post-colonial identities as a Chinese-American diaspora. This research is a qualitative research. The basic method applied is close reading to analyze the novel. The steps to analyze the issue are elaborating the impacts of British colonization towards Kimberly; pointing out the condition of Kimberly Chang as a Chinese diaspora and analyzing the use of language by Kimberly Chang which is divided into three phases. Those three phases show that Kimberly experiences the dynamics of Post-colonial identities through the strategies of abrogation and appropriation. Discussion Kimberly Chang’s Condition as a Colonized in Hong Kong Hong Kong is a part of China’s region which had been invaded by British Empire from 1842. It was returned back to China through the handover in 1997. Hong Kong is one of the examples of colonized country influenced by the British Empire. The impacts of British domination can be seen in Hong Kong’s political, economic, cultural and social condition.
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The Dynamics of Kimberly Chang’s Post-colonial Identities Seen through the Strategies of Abrogation and Appropriation in Jean Kwok’s Novel Girl in Translation
Political Effect According to Homi K. Bhabha, political effects need “an instrumentalist notion of power/knowledge.” (72). It means that in order to have control in Hong Kong’s political field, British had to acquire a power. The Governor of Hong Kong who ruled during the reign of the British-held was controlled by the British. Because of that legitimate, British was in the highest position in Hong Kong community structure and it made the position of Hong Kong people were under the British. English was the official language which was basically used in the executive, legislative and judicative council. British suggested that schools in Hong Kong should learn English, because Hong Kong was under their power. As a result, some schools taught lessons in English in 1935. Then, British Empire made a policy which made English as the official language in government and legal areas through the 1970s and 1980s (Setter 104). The biggest change due to political effect that indicates Hong Kong a colonized state is the educational system. The British finally made English the major language that must be learned in 1970. Kimberly Chang acknowledges English language in her secondary school (Kwok 27). Kimberly learns Basic English when she becomes a student in Hong Kong. Kimberly has to learn everything that she never knows, even though it is just the basic. It is because Hong Kong people believe that 'knowledge of English financial means occupational abilities' (Setter 105). Students must learn and produce English in order to enrol to a university. If people want to have good career in government and commerce, they have to expert in using English. It is because most of the government control is held by British; in other words, according Luke and Richard 1982: 54-5, all the documents of Government and Administration are written in English (Setter 105) Economic Effect The effects of Political policy help to turn Hong Kong into a major commercial and business country. However, if people want to have a brighter future, Hong Kong people have to learn English. So, they will have good career, such as in governmental area. If they do not learn English, their career will not be in higher level and they cannot become elite. They will not get opportunity to have good career in fields which are led by the British. So, it can be deduced that Hong Kong people who use and speak English will have a better career and deserve to be elite. The statement above is similar to Ismail S. Thalib’s statement that “There is a hierarchy of dialects in Britain, with the perception that the more prestigious dialects are associated not only with higher social and economic status but with higher intelligence as well.” (12). It means if someone is closer to speak Standard English, he/she will not only be regarded as having higher social status but also higher intelligence. Kimberly Chang’s father is a principal in an elementary school and her mother is a music teacher. It indicates that the Chang Family belongs to middle class. However, the familiy’s economic condition changes after Kimberly’s father died. Moreover, Kimberly’s Mother suffers from tuberculosis. Such situation makes Kimberly become a part of lower class. Regarding the economic situation, people who have a purpose to learn English might deserve . People who are not willing to learn English will achieve nothing. Cultural Effect Homi K. Bhabha states that “the knowledges of cultural authority may be articulated with forms of 'native' knowledges or faced with those discriminated subjects that they must rule but can no longer represent.” (115). The colonized people live in their native land but they cannot rule and represent their culture because the existence of the colonizer who invades their culture. The colonizer’s influence is still perceived by them until the present days. One of the cultural effects that are depicted in this novel is when Kimberly comes to Harrison Prep after Harrison offers her full scholarship. Kimberly has been asked to draw anything that she likes. Kimberly decides to draw a princess with blonde girl. Kimberly is a Hong Kong person with Chinese ancestor. However, Kimberly’s idea illustrates the figure of a princess rather than a Chinese figure. Kimberly is influenced by the British which has monarchy system consisting of King, Queen, Prince and Princess. Thus, the writer is completely sure that
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Allusion Volume 03 Number 01 (February 2014) | Chinintya Suma Ningtyas; Usma Nur Dian Rosyidah the Princess-figure is one of the impacts of the British’s existence on colonized’s mind. Hong Kong has been invaded by British for hundred years. This fact cannot be removed in the history. In this novel, the writer noted that Kimberly unconsciously regards herself as a Colonized person who holds an inferior position. Social Effect The social effect in Ashcroft’s word is that “It can be elicited from the world-view and social structures of his own people” (163). It is seen in how people structure themselves to be divided into several classes. Homi K. Bhabha states that the “binary division of space: there has to be an 'inside' and an 'outside' for there to be a socially determinative relation.” (218). The binary represents inside and outside of the hierarchy in Hong Kong. The inside refers to the colonizer and the outside refers to the colonized. As has been stated before, the highest position in Hong Kong during the colonization was held by the British who controlled governmental areas. Regarding the structure of social status which exists in Hong Kong, some people want to upgrade their social status yet they still want to maintain themselves as Chinese. In the novel, the writer found that Hong Kong people belong to lower class rather than the British. It is shown in the incident involving Kimberly and her teacher in which her teacher corrects her accent words in American school. Kimberly uses the word ‘sir’ and ‘servant’(52). It happens when Kimberly comes to the school and delivers her absence note to Mr. Bogart. The writer takes a note that Kimberly considers herself as an obedient servant to Mr. Bogart. The word ‘servant’ indicates the effect of colonialism which is represented as colonizer and colonized. It is correlated with Kimberly Chang’s social status. She is the most inferior because she does not master English. Kimberly Chang as Diaspora in the United States Kimberly comes to America in 1980s. She moves there when she is 11 years old. According to Bill Ashcroft, people’s movement from their homeland to a new land is identified as Diaspora (Ashcroft 68). Kimberly Chang becomes diaspora in America. Together with her mother, she moves from Hong Kong to the United States. Kimberly Chang’s reason to settle her life in America is economic factor. Kimberly’s economic condition is unstable in Hong Kong after Kimberly’s Father died due to stroke. Kimberly lives only with Ma. Unluckily, Kimberly’s Mother is diagnosed with tuberculosis which makes her economic condition unstable (12). Kimberly Chang is helped by Paula who pays all of medicine of Kimberly’s Mother (74). After that, Aunt Paula offers Kimberly and her mother to move to America. Kimberly accepts her aunt’s offer because America becomes a symbol of hope to find a better life. It is supported by her mother’s words; “Never forget, we owe Aunt Paula and Uncle Bob a great debt. Because they got us out of Hong Kong and brought us here to America, the Golden Mountain” I nodded (Kwok 10). Here, Kimberly agrees that America is the land of “the Golden Mountain”. The Golden Mountain itself has a representation in Kimberly’s mind. “‘Gold Mountain’ for Chinese people is derived from the name of a dream of a better life and the dream were followed in faraway places.” (Gold Mountain). Aunt Paula’s kindness that helps Kimberly and her mother is another reason of Kimberly’s migration. Kimberly has to pay her debt to her aunt as her aunt pays her mother's medication expense and her administrative matters such as visa. In order to return the debt, Kimberly works in her aunt’s factory and studies in America. Therefore, she cannot return to her homeland, Hong Kong. As has been stated before, due to her economic condition, Kimberly cannot afford to pay her mother’s medication expense. She cannot upgrade her social status because she is barely speaking English. In addition, Aunt Paula is also the only ‘family’ that she and her mother have. In this case, it shows how Kimberly is a Hong Kong civilian who has been invaded by British, and now she lives in America which makes her a Diaspora. As stated by Bhabha, “A bridge, where ‘presencing’ begins because it captures something of the estranging sense of relocation of the home and the world.” (9). As a Diaspora, Kimberly experiences a separated feeling between the home and the world.
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The Dynamics of Kimberly Chang’s Post-colonial Identities Seen through the Strategies of Abrogation and Appropriation in Jean Kwok’s Novel Girl in Translation
In this case, her home is Hong Kong and the world is America as her new land. Diasporic condition shown in Kimberly’s everyday life is that she is struggling to be fit in America. The struggling will elaborate her dynamic Post-colonial identities through the use of language in the following discussion. The First Phase of Kimberly’s Abrogation and Appropriation: Unhomeliness The writer noted that Kimberly and her mother speak Cantonese between themselves from the beginning of the novel. Kimberly and her mother use Cantonese to communicate with each other. This statement indicates that Kimberly’s use of language is in accordance with Ashcroft’s words that language can be a medium to express their cultural experience (38). As a mother and a daughter who come from Hong Kong, it will be easier to understand each other by speaking Cantonese. Furthermore, her mother is hardly speaking English. This is one of the evidences that show the experiences of diaspora. It will be easier if they communicate using their mother tongue. Another evidence to strengthen the analysis above is the conversation between Kimberly and her mother. When Kimberly and her mother enter her new place, the condition of the place is not comfortable to live in. “Ma,” I whispered, “is it safe?” “Aunt Paula wouldn’t send us anywhere unsafe,” she said, but her low voice was laced with a thread of doubt. (Kwok 5). In this dialogue, Kimberly expresses the new place by replacing ‘the place’ with ‘it’. In the context of Kimberly as Chinese Diaspora, the use of ‘it’ to refer to a new place indicates that Kimberly does not recognize that place as her new ‘home’. It is her lacking of expression to regard her ‘home’. It raises a question of ‘home’ for Kimberly. Her condition and the situation of the new place are also stated by the use of the word ‘safe’. The writer noted that it is Kimberly’s Mother who is the newcomer in America. She feels insecure in her new home, without heater and with many cockroaches passing through. In other words, it seems that there is no safe place to be her home. The statement above has been supported by Kimberly’s language. She states that she really wants to go home but her mother replies that they will be all right living in America as Chinese immigrants. Another interesting data that the writer found in Kimberly Chang’s language in the first phase is how she compares the condition in Hong Kong to America. Kimberly tries to exterminate the cockroaches in her apartment and then the missing of the figure of her home suddenly comes into her mind. It was impossible to get used to them. I’d seen them in Hong Kong, of course, but not in our apartment. We’d had a nice simple place. Like most people in Hong Kong then, we didn’t have luxuries like a refrigerator, but Ma had kept our leftovers in a steel-mesh cage underneath the table and cooked every meal with fresh meat and vegetables just bought at the street market. (19). In the quotation above, Kimberly unconsciously abrogates the standard use of English. If she uses English standard, she should replace ‘luxuries’ with ‘furniture’. The use of the word ‘luxuries’ instead of ‘furniture’ indicates that Kimberly’s home is not equipped with something which she considers as luxuries. At the same time, Kimberly also uses appropriation by defining that thing in her own style of understanding. Having luxuries such as refrigerator will make the people consider them having high social status in Hong Kong. At this state, that word can signify her cultural experience. Moreover, Kimberly also can replace the sentence “We’d had a nice simple place” with “We had a nice and simple place”. There is a missing conjunction ‘and’ which is used to present a non-contrasting idea. The missing of the conjunction indicates that Kimberly is not comfortable living in America. She cannot feel calmly to express how well her place in Hong Kong. The writer assumes to question her feeling of being not at home because there is no such place like her previous home which is nice and simple. Furthermore, the use of language by Kimberly Chang indicates that her attachment to her home land is stronger than her attachment to her new land. It is in line with Kaur and Kalra who stated “diaspora privileges a place of ‘origin’, that is of an unchanging and stable nature.” (Kalra 28). Her homeland is pulling her to still attach with her origin, Hong Kong.
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It can be deduced that Kimberly Chang’s Post-colonial identity in the first phase is unhomeliness. It is necessary to pay attention when she misses her home as she compares the situation between Hong Kong and America. According to Homi K. Bhabha, “To be unhome is not to be homeless, nor can the unhomely be easily accommodated in that familiar division of social life into private and public spheres.” (9). Kimberly Chang mostly uses Chinese in communication. Kimberly gets a place to be her new home but her private life cannot accept it. As she misses the figure of home, Kimberly feels what kind of places that fit to her condition. The Second Phase of Kimberly’s Abrogation and Appropriation: In-between-ness The writer found that the second phase of Kimberly’s abrogation and appropation is when she communicates to other Chinese Diaspora. Thus, the writer will deliberate the way Kimberly speaks to her mother, her Aunt and Matt. In the beginning of the story until the end of the second phase, the conversation between Kimberly and her mother are in Cantonese. Because of her cultural background as Chinese Descent, it is the easiest way to communicate with Cantonese. As a mother and a daughter, it will be easier if they use their mother tongue to represent their cultural background as Chinese Diaspora. While living in America, Kimberly is the only one who has contact with American. Her language is influenced by American mind and culture. It happens when Kimberly adjusts American ideology with the context of Chinese culture. She argues with her mother to go to the party at night with Annette, who is an American. “Ma, I’ve always wanted to. The other kids—you don’t know all the things they do, the freedom they have. I don’t ask, because you always say no.” (Kwok 23). In this sentence, Kimberly has been influenced with American ideology of ‘the freedom’. ‘Freedom’ in American culture refers to the freedom to speak and do anything the people want to do. However, as a former colonized person whose country was invaded by the British, Kimberly is burdened because it is related to a case of colonized people which had been controlled by Colonizer. The colonizer steals their freedom as Hong Kong people. It is reflected in Kimberly Chang as the Colonizer steals her freedom to do anything she likes. The way Kimberly use the language to her mother indicates that she has been influenced by American culture and ideology. It shows that Kimberly experiences in-between position. The beginning of Kimberly Chang’s life in America is not as easy as she expected. Kimberly has some problems in school and social life regarding communicating to Americans. In the beginning of the story, Kimberly has difficulties to find her classroom when she enrols for primary school. Then, Kimberly realizes that she is late. It starts a conflict between her and her new teacher. She makes an excuse towards Mr Bogart in the novel; He gave a strange smile that made his lips disappear, then he looked at his watch and his lips reappeared. “You’re very late. What’s your exsu?” I knew I had to answer so I guessed. “Kim Chang.” He stared at me for a second. “I know what your name is,” he said, enunciating each word. “What’s your exshus?” “Can’t you speak English? They said that you did.” This came out as a kind of grumbled whine. Who was he talking about? He took a breath. “Why are you late?” This, I understood. “I sorry, sir,” I said. “We not find school.” (Kwok 25). The quotation above shows that Kimberly’s mistake is not only in the grammar but also in understanding sentences. She missunderstands what her teacher asks. Kimberly does not know that exsu is excuse, but in this case, Kimberly misinterprets about excuse. She thinks that her teacher asks her name in order to introduce her as a new student. This situation shows that the English that Kimberly received when she studied in Hong Kong is limited. As part of colonized people in Hong Kong, Kimberly heard similar English sound but she did not understand at all. Thus, Kimberly‘s understanding explains that she still resists her identity as Chinese. Her mistake in grammar is that she uses ‘I sorry sir’ instead of ‘I am sorry sir’ and ‘we not find school’ instead of ‘We cannot find the school’. According to those examples, Kimberly unconsciously abrogates
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The Dynamics of Kimberly Chang’s Post-colonial Identities Seen through the Strategies of Abrogation and Appropriation in Jean Kwok’s Novel Girl in Translation and appropriates the standard use of English language and thus her English is considered as ‘english’. Kimberly omits ‘am’ in I sorry sir and ‘can’ in we not find school. In the sentences ‘I sorry sir’ and ‘we not find school’, Kimberly omits the word ‘am’ and ‘can’. It shows that Kimberly rejects the idea of being controlled by the colonizer. As part of Hong Kong people who had been colonized by British, Kimberly does not want to be tied in Colonized who had been oppressed by Colonizer again. Thus, Kimberly abrogates her position as ‘am’ which is more inferior than American as the Whites. It is because if she uses standard English with ‘I am’, it means that she accepts the idea that American people has a higher position than Hong Kong people. However, those words show that Kimberly also appropriates to use English, even though her English words are limited. By ommitting ‘am’ and ‘can’ in her sentences, Kimberly appropriates that her identity is unstable. Because of this condition, Kimberly is not being herself. By abrogating and appropriating her sentences, Kimberly shows that her identity is not intact. The condition of Kimberly’s mind leads her to have a mix feeling. As a Diaspora who owes a debt, she cannot return to her home. Kimberly still maintains her identity as a Chinese descent. The next discussion shows that Kimberly, as a person who has contact with Americans, feels that she steals her mother’s world by expropriating her mother’s position to speak English. For example, Kimberly bargains and asks for the refund when she buys daily needs. Using English in her school helps Kimberly to improve her English. Infact, her mother’s debility in using English encourages her to improve her English. One of the examples of the dialogue is; “May you have the strength and health of a dragon,” Ma said softly in Chinese. She looked in her shopping bag and pulled out a short wooden sword she’d bought from the kung fu store in Chinatown. She gave it to him. His broad face shone with pleasure as he ran his finger over the carvings on the handle. “She say, ‘Good health,’” I said, not knowing how to translate it further. (Kwok 92). First, the existence of the word ‘Kung fu’ in Kimberly narration represents a cultural sign of Kimberly Chang’s background as a Chinese. Kung fu means Chinese martial arts (Setter 84). In this case, Kimberly abrogates the existence of English that english cannot replace the authenticity meaning of Kung Fu. However, Kimberly also appropriates that Kung Fu is primitive language that does not have place in English’s words. This word faces the reality of cultural distance between Chinese and America. Furthermore, Kimberly translates what her mother says, with ‘she say’. Here, Kimberly abrogates words ‘says’ to ‘say’. Omitting suffix ‘-s’ in verb-‘say’ indicates the lack of subject-verb agreement, as stated by Tony T.N Hung that “It is difficult in identifying the head of a complex NP subject in English, which controls agreement.” (13). Kimberly abrogates to use ‘says’ and she substitutes it into ‘say’ which is hard to identify who controls the subject. It is because she unconsciously disagrees to be controlled by Colonizer. Third, Kimberly translates the idiom of her mother’s words ‘May you have the strength and health of a dragon’ with ‘good health’. It shows the differences of Chinese and American culture depicted in this novel. In Chinese language, dragon is regarded as the almighty that has great power. In other words, The Chinese Dragon sometimes can be seen as the ultimate symbol of protection and good fortune (The Almighty Dragon) In the quotation above, Ma is using Chinese idiom with dragon’s essential, and then Kimberly translates it into ‘good health’. Here, Kimberly chooses the word ‘good’. It indicates that Chinese people regard dragon as the almighty who brings good fortune. The use of the word ‘health’ represents dragon as the ultimate protection. Kimberly chooses this diction to indicate her native background as Chinese in her mind. Thus, the use of language by Kimberly Chang is attached by two cultures. It can be deduced that Kimberly speaks English but she also uses Chinese language as her basic to represent it. After all, according to the second phase about Post-colonial identity, most of Abrogation and Appropriation show that Kimberly represents in-between position. The use of Kimberly’s English
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Allusion Volume 03 Number 01 (February 2014) | Chinintya Suma Ningtyas; Usma Nur Dian Rosyidah language is influenced by Chinese’s grammar and culture. However, Kimberly’s Chinese language also shows how much American culture influences her English and her mind. From the use of languange by Kimberly Chang, it can be concluded that the two cultures, her homeland and new land, are attracting her. As stated by Homi K. Bhabha, “In place of the polarity of a prefigurative self-generating nation 'in-itself' and extrinsic other nations, the performative introduces a temporality of the 'in-between'” (148). In this case, Kimberly’s culture becomes polar to define ‘in-itself’ as Chinese and ‘extrinsic other nation’ of American culture applied in her languages. The in-between represents Kimberly’s condition that she is in grey area. It is because Kimberly’s language indicates her position in between Chinese and American culture and both cultures affect her. The Third Phase of Kimberly’s Abrogation and Appropriation: Hybridity In the epilogue, finally Kimberly obtains her dream to become a surgeon in America and live independently with her mother and her son (Kwok 288). The third phase sets in twelve years after Kimberly’s coming to America. Jason is twelve year old. He is Kimberly’s son who makes her spirit to obtain her dreams alive. In her communication with Jason, she easily switches between English and Chinese; “Hey, where are you going?” I asked in Chinese. “I’ve got baseball practice! Mom, I’m going to be late.” His Chinese, although not quite as perfect as his English, was excellent. Jason’s face was so similar to his father’s, Matt would have recognized him in a moment had he seen that photo in my office: the golden eyes, the bushy eyebrows, even the lock of hair that always fell in his face. He was already getting his bicycle from the bike rack but I called, “Jason.” “I have to go.” “You forgot our special good-bye.” He paused, then ran back to me. “I’m too old for this.” “Come on.” I put down my helmet and gloves and slipped Matt’s necklace into my jacket pocket. Then we both switched into English and chanted together, “I love you, give me a whack.” We gave each other a high five. “Have a great day, and I’ll be back.” (Kwok 299). However, the writer noted that Kimberly Chang’s language, the English word of ‘whack’ indicates her Abrogation and Appropriation. The words ‘whack’ and ‘a high five’ have the same meaning. Although she is already American, Kimberly Chang unconsciously abrogates the standard use of English. The word ‘whack’ is referred to make a high five with her son, but Kimberly translates the ‘high five’ into ‘whack’. Kimberly abrogates the idea of high five that she agrees to choose one identity because she speaks English. However, Kimberly also appropriates from the word ‘whack’ that whips for her to realize that she can walk not only into one identity but also other identities which can get along together. Although she is now American, Kimberly does not forget her root as a Hong Kong person. In the third phase about Post-colonial identity, most Abrogation and Appropriation by Kimberly Chang show that she accepts her new land and she still attaches to her native land. It is proven in the use of language by Kimberly as she is comfortable to attach to both cultures. Kimberly uses Chinese and English at the same time. According to Homi K. Bhabha in the book entitled The Location of Culture, “Hybrid is the transformational value of change lies in the rearticulating, or translating, of elements that are neither the one (unitary working class) nor the other (the politics of gender) but something else besides, which contest the term and territories of both” (28). Kimberly Chang has experienced a hybrid identity. It imposed her to walk flowing with Chinese and American culture because there is no barrier that will separate. Kimberly is mixing her past, present, and future. She faces new experience in her new land. After going through three phases, Kimberly now is an American. She used to study in Harvard University and becomes a surgeon. Her English will be improved into a mature phase. However, after becoming a surgeon, Kimberly still remembers her roots as Chinese, due to the existence of Matt’s and her son’s figure in her mind. She already passed that experience and accepted her fate. The writer can deduce that Kimberly is comfortable for having both. The last phase discusses how Kimberly Chang can use English
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The Dynamics of Kimberly Chang’s Post-colonial Identities Seen through the Strategies of Abrogation and Appropriation in Jean Kwok’s Novel Girl in Translation and Chinese at the same time. It represents that Kimberly enjoys having both cultures and identities. Even though she is an American now, she can speak both Chinese and English. Conclusion Colonialism brings impacts on Colonized people. The impacts of British Colonization which occurred in Hong Kong are in Political, Economy, Cultural, and Social fields. Those impacts are also experienced by Kimberly as a Colonized person. Kimberly is considered as Diaspora who is separated from her home land. The separation happens because Kimberly wants to get a better life in America and pay the debt to her aunt. However, when she moves to a new land, she has to be fit in the new land. Kimberly uses two languages in everyday life, Cantonese and English. The use of language by Kimberly is used to reveal the condition and experience of her Post-colonial identities. Post-colonial identities may change through process because it is dynamic and fluid. In the first phase, Kimberly’s language shows her attachment to Hong Kong. Her language indicates her question of ‘home’ where she belongs to. The second phase shows that Kimberly’s language indicates the attraction between her homeland and new land which puts her in a grey area. The way Kimberly uses the language indicates that she is in-between two conditions. The third phase shows her acceptances of her new land and her determination not to leave her home land. Chinese and American cultures simultaneously attract Kimberly to have a hybrid Post-colonial identity. Works Cited Ashcroft, Bill, Gareth Griffith and Hellen Tiffin. The Empire Writes Back: Theory and Practice in Postcolonial Literature. London: Routledge, 2002. Bhabha, Homi K. The Location of Culture. London: Routledge, 1994. Gold Mountain. 2011. 30 May 2014
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