The Macanese Cultural Characteristics In Fernandes' Novels

Macanese, the Macao-born Portuguese, are a special ethnic community in Macao. This paper analyses, from the cultural angle, two novels written by Macanese author, Henrique de Senna Fernandes: The Love and Little Toes (Amor e Dedinhos de Pe) and The Tempting Braid ( A Tranca Feiticeira), and discusses the cultural characteristics of this community as reflected by the designation of the Christian City, the heroism of fighting back the pirates and the culture of choosing position through marriage, all of which are vividly expressed in the novels. First, the culture of the community is originated in Portuguese culture and the people have strong Portuguese cultural complex. Second, owing to their Portuguese cultural education, and traditional Chinese cultural influence and their special political status economic interest in Macao, the cultural nature of the Macanese tends to be active, open, marginal and integrative in the process of cultural identity and choice.