From Muteness To Self-assertion A Postcolonial And Feminist Reading Of The Bonesetter’s Daughter

Nowadays works of Chinese-American writers have been widely read and favoredby readers and critics. Chinese-American authors have received a host of praise. AmyTan is one of the outstanding Chinese-American female writers. Since her masterpieceThe Joy Luck Club was published, it has been welcomed by readers. This book alsowon many awards for her, which marks Amy Tan as a significant writer in the field ofliterature. The Bonesetter’s Daughter is Amy Tan’s fourth novel, in which shediscusses the famous topic about relationship between mother and daughter andelaborates different life experiences of women of three consecutive generations.Based on the novel The Bonesetter’s Daughter, this thesis uses feminism andpost-colonialism together as literary theories to analyze this work. Through discussingthe oppression of women in the patriarchal society, and analyzing the discriminationagainst Chinese female minorities in American society, this thesis points out that allthe three women in this novel have experienced the same process: oppressed to bemuted—breaking muteness. They all have discovered a way to break muteness and torealize self-assertion. Finally, their relationship comes to a state of reconciliation.From being muted to realizing self-assertion is the only way for the three women tomake their voices heard.