华裔女性文学中的食物叙事与性别政治

Food Narration and Gender Politics in Female Chinese American Literature

在美国华裔文学中,尤其是华裔女性文学作品中,"食物"一直作为重要的意象反复地出现,蕴含着深刻的性别政治内涵。本论文借助性别政治的相关理论,探讨了不同时期的华裔女性文本中各类女主人公的饮食偏好和食物选择与性别政治之间的关系:华裔女主人公或缺乏性别意识与族群意识,安于传统刻板印象给定的角色;或处于文化认同的撕裂之中,对传统性别权利关系进行激烈的抗争与批判;或超越狭隘的性别族群意识,勇于追求女性的生理情欲。由此本论文的研究意义就在于,它揭示了华裔女性作家如何基于其独特的生命体验,将政治诉求融入其文学创作之中,藉由书写女性如何通过食物叙事表达自我,塑造一系列由从属地位向主体地位转变的女性,从而建构出属于女性自我的主体意识。

In Chinese American literature, particularly in the works of female Chinese American writers, 'food' has repeatedly appeared as important images, containing profound gender political connotations. With the help of gender politics theories, this article has explored relationships between gender politics and those heroines' various eating preferences and food choices in female Chinese American literary works of different phases: for lack of gender and racial awareness, some heroines are satisfied with the traditionally stereotyped image to become model ethnic groups; in a split of cultural identification, some heroines are bold enough to present fierce protest and criticism against traditional gender relationships; surpassing the narrow sense of gender and ethnic awareness, some heroines are more concerned with pursuing sexual pleasure. To deconstruct gender and racial oppressions, female Chinese American writers have actually adopted literary creation as a political strategy to demonstrate their long-term struggle and resistance through food narration. Therefore the meaning of this article lies in the fact that it reveals how female Chinese American writers, based on their unique life experiences, integrate political appeals into large numbers of food images. By means of food narration, female Chinese American writers have expressed their voices by portraying a series of heroines who develop their dominant position from subordinate position, thus finally succeeded in constructing female consciousness of subjectivity.