Trans-cultural Perspectives in Yan Geling's Fiction

Abstract

As a prominent writer in overseas Chinese literature, Yan Geling has created numerous works drawing from her experiences of immigration and memories of her homeland. Within mainland China, the primary hub for research on Yan Geling, there is no lack of comprehensive discussions about her literary creations. However, despite her significant contributions and widespread popularity in both mainland China and Taiwan, Yan Geling’s works remain relatively obscure in Western academia. Furthermore, while the majority of research revolves around themes of feminism reflected in Yan’s works, this thesis aims to illuminate the trans-cultural perspectives in Yan Geling’s fiction. This perspective is intricately tied to her identity as an overseas Chinese writer. In exploring Yan Geling’s immigration stories, this thesis employs historiographic metafiction, Orientalism, and psychological analysis to explore how her immigration stories reflect her contemplation of the experiences of Chinese immigrants, both in the early stages and during contemporary times. This thesis indicates that Yan Geling’s writing of immigration stories stems from a depiction of struggles for survival and cultural conflicts, evolving into depictions of people’s psychological crises in modern times. Regarding Yan’s Chinese historical novels, this thesis explores her narratives concerning significant historical and political events in contemporary China, such as the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Land Reform Movement, and the Chinese Cultural Revolution. It presents a comparative study, positioning Yan Geling’s works alongside the narratives of select Chinese writers and historical accounts from both Chinese and Western sources. This thesis argues that Yan Geling’s experiences and memories, both in China and abroad, have cultivated in her a humanistic perspective that seeks to depict how marginalised
individuals navigate and endure historical and political upheavals. This thesis concludes that due to the distance in both time and space, with the maturity of her age and writing skills, Yan Geling’s historical fiction gradually presents a sense of light humour regarding the absurdities of histories and humanities. This sense of humour does not weaken but strengthens the power of accusation in her work.

Date of Award	2024
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Aberystwyth University
Supervisor	Neal Alexander (Supervisor)