Analysis of Chinese literature in Australia during the last decade (1989-2000)

Abstract

As one of the largest non-English speaking groups in Australia, Chinese immigrants, refugees and sojourners are becoming more visible and have begun to exert more influence on Australian society. These groups can be better understood by reading and analysing Chinese literature in Australia because these contemporary Chinese literary works discuss a numbers of issues, such as how migrants and refugees adapted to the host culture while preserving their traditional culture; how they became involved into the new society and became a part of it; and what anxieties and difficulties they encountered in the process of displacement and transition. The current study uses the theories of both cultural studies and inter-cultural communication theorists to examine literary works written in Chinese by Chinese immigrants to Australia. Literary theory is also used as a methodological tool to analyse the writings. The study compares the works of writers from mainland China with the writings of Chinese from other country ('Chinese outsiders'). Although the two groups write on similar themes, the research shows that the characteristics, and the general perspectives they present are quite different from one another.

Date of Award	2002
Original language	English
Supervisor	Jen WEBB (Supervisor), Glen Lewis (Supervisor) & Michael Sawyer (Supervisor)