“美国梦”与后多元时代的身份认同:任碧莲的“美国故事”解读

本文从族裔属性再现的角度解读任碧莲的小说。从第一代华裔移民试图在美国建立"自己的社会"、实现"美国梦",到后来移民及其后代们自由选择"文化身份"、融入文化大熔炉,再到后多元时代在家庭和社会的民族混杂中寻找人生坐标,她笔下的人物构成了她审视族裔属性诸多命题的生动载体。他们体现了任碧莲对文化身份动态性的兴趣,但对于任何族裔属性相关的命题,这位华裔作家给出的答案都是开放式的、实验性的。

This paper examines the issues of ethnicity representation in Gish Jen's literary works.Claiming to be a Chinese American writer whose real interests lie beyond the 'symbolic ethnicity',Jen nonetheless bases her literary endeavor on the doubleness of her personal and cultural background.A historical survey of her works reveals that Chinese Americans all struggle for their individual way of coming to terms with reality,thus enriching the notion of Chineseness.The author's interests in the fluidity of cultural identity is highlighted through these characters.However,to any issue concerning ethnicity,the answer provided by her is basically open and experimental.