A Study Of Chinese Masculinity In China Boy

Gus Lee was a famous Chinese-American male writer.In 1991,his first novel China Boy was a great success.As soon as it was published,it reached the New York Times bestseller list and became a new voice in the American literary circle,which was praised by critics and readers alike.It had a strong cultural appeal and tension which included its gripping plot and lively language.Based on the analyze of the text,this thesis interprets the masculinities of three Chinese men in this novel from the perspective of R.W.Connell?s masculinity theory.In traditional commentaries on masculinity,more attention is paid to the western masculinity theory,but less attention is paid to the ideal masculinity under Chinese traditional culture.In addition,there are few studies on the masculinity of Gus Lee?s works in China and even less correlation between it of East and West in his works.Therefore,the study on the masculinity of the three Chinese men in Gus Lee?s China Boy will have corresponding academic value.This thesis is an attempt to combine Connell?s masculinity theory with Chinese traditional culture to reconstruct ideal masculinity,hoping to provide some new perspectives for the research of this novel in China.Through the analysis of China Boy,it is concluded that with the help of the ideal qualities of Chinese traditional culture,the multiple faces of Chinese men not only refute the stigmatization of Chinese by the mainstream discourse in the United States,but also represents the conclusion of the inheritance,evolution and adaptation of Chinese cultural memory overseas.This thesis consists of five parts: The first part briefly introduces the author Gus Lee and China Boy,and makes a literature review of the related research achievements in this field.At the same time,Connell?s masculinity theory used in this thesis is introduced.The second,the third and the fourth part are the main parts of this thesis.They analyze the masculinity of Uncle Shim,Ding Guofan and Ting Kai respectively from the representation of masculinity,the causes,the reconstruction methods and the manifestation of ideal masculinity in the traditional Chinese culture.The second part based on the theory of marginal masculinity mainly analyzes Uncle Shim from the ideal masculinity of “Conquering firmness with soft”,“Inaction” and “Frugality”.The third part based on the theory of complicit masculinity focuses on the interpretation of Ding Guofan?s ideal masculinity of “Harmony is most precious”,“Not engaging” and “Being Under”.The fourth part based on the theory of dominant masculinity mainly analyzes the hero Ting Kai and specifically interprets the ideal masculinity of “Unity of knowledge and action” and “Benevolence”.The fifth part is the conclusion part,which takes the perspective of masculinity,especially with reference to Western Connell?s masculinity theory and traditional Chinese philosophy?s definition of ideal masculinity which can manifest the ideal Chinese masculinity.This can not only provide guidance for Chinese men to find their self-identity and spiritual orientation,but also to regain confidence in building their ideal masculinity,reveal the contemporary inheritance,evolution and extraterritorial transmission of traditional Chinese culture,explore the multiple facets of masculinity and respond to the multicultural development trend in the era of globalization.