Abstract:As one of the leading members of contemporary Chinese American writers, Gish Jen depicts a story of an ethnic minority youth growing up in the multi-cultural background of the United States in her representative work----Mona in the Promised Land. It shows the new aspect and future trend of Chinese American literature. The construction of cultural identity of the Chinese American girl--- Mona is an important theme in the novel.
The thesis tries to analyze the above theme applying the Three-Stage Model of Ethnic Identity Development in Adolescence proposed by Jean S. Phinney, revolving the experiences of the heroine at different stages of adolescence. The three stages--- the initial stage, the exploring stage, and the achieved stage are all reflected in the story.
It also illustrates the resolution to cultural identity crisis proposed by Gish Jen--- the fluidity in multicultural context and assimilation. What’s more, it also reveals Gish Jen’s manifesto of challenging the American melting pot culture dominated by the rigid WASP ethnic concept.
Finally, we can draw a conclusion that Mona Chang’s experience of cultural identity construction can offer general inspiration to the ethnic minorities in America. In the context of multiculturalism, minority Americans should never be tied to only one or the other property, but a multiple, fluid identity like Mona. In addition, facing multiculturalism, Gish Jen is in favor of cultural integration while retaining the distinctive ethnic and cultural characteristics. The American culture is no longer the traditional WASP culture-based "melting pot", but should be a typical "salad bowl”, which means people of different skin colors and traditions live in a country where mutual respect and equal rights prevails regardless of mainstream or marginal culture. Only a culturally inclusive and multivariant America can be the promising land.
Keywords: construction of cultural identity, multicultural context, fluidity, assimilation
摘要:任璧莲是当代美国华裔文学的领军人物。她的代表作品《梦娜在希望之乡》展示出新时期华裔文学的崭新面貌以及未来的发展趋势。它讲述了少数族裔青少年在美国多元文化背景下成长的故事。小说中华裔女孩梦娜的身份建构是一个重要的主题。
本文试图运用Jean S. Phinney提出的少数族裔青少年建构文化身份三段论理论来分析任碧莲《梦娜在希望之乡》这部小说的建构主题，分析主要围绕主人公的成长的不同阶段和历程:混沌时代---纯真的少年时期；探索阶段---磨难与成长；成熟阶段---走向成熟。三段论的主要特点在这部小说中的再现等方面展开。论文还通过梦娜的身份建构阐释了任碧莲在《梦娜在希望之乡》中对于文化身份认同危机提出的策略——— 多元文化语境中文化身份流变性、同化，以及故事所体现出的挑战美国大熔炉文化中以WASP为主流的僵化的族裔概念之宣言。
最后,本文基于以上研究得出结论：作为一个华裔美国女性，主人公梦娜·张的文化身份建构体验对于美国少数青少年族裔具有普遍启迪意义。在多元文化的语境中，少数族裔美国人也不应该束缚于非此即彼的属性界定，而是像梦娜一样，拥有的是一个多重的、流动的身份。另外，任碧莲面对多元文化的态度是赞同文化的融合，且注重保持本族裔文化的特色。美国文化已经不是以WASP文化为主统的“大熔炉”，而应该是一个典型的“色拉碗”——肤色不同、传统各异的各族裔人民生活在同一个国家里，应该相互尊重、平等对待，无所谓主流与边缘。文化上包容的、多元的美国才能成为各族裔人民的“希望之乡”。
关键字：文化身份建构 多元文化语境 身份流变性 同化
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