The Research Of The First Decade Of North American Chinese Network Literature

Global Chinese Network Literature originated from North America; it has great significance through both historic meaning and literary value in studying how North American Chinese Network Literature was established and developed.The thesis sets the research time period to "the first decade of North American Chinese Network Literature" that spanned from1991to2001. North American Chinese Network Literature was the forerunner of current Global Chinese Network Literature as well as its uniqueness. Entering the new century, Chinese Network Literature has split apart due to and a plethora of complex external factors (changes in global economic structure) and internal factors (digitization and development of New Media). The thesis adopts the method of bilateral comparative study based on the media theory in order to discuss the similarities and individual features between Network Literature and Traditional Literature. Firstly the study was conducted based on time through the selection of a few respected North American Chinese Network groups (forums, web magazines and websites), their authors and their published literary works. From case-by-case studies and literary analysis, the thesis summarizes the characteristics and achievements of the first decade North America Chinese Network Literature. The second approach is based on regions. This method places North American Chinese Network Literature against the concepts of World Literature and Chinese Culture such as comparisons through North American English Literature, Mainland Chinese Network Literature and Southeast Asia Literature. It also discusses characteristics and significance of the North American Chinese Network writers who live in Western, multi-cultural and multi-lingual environments.Furthermore, the thesis discusses the variations of culture and art in Network literature under the current New Media environment and industrial background. Through iPhone, iPad, eBooks, etc., New Media has changed the way information is transferred. These technological advancements have also tremendously affected how literature is created, dissipated, and accepted:changing our concept of literature as a whole. By following the few well-known writers in the first decade of North American Chinese Network Literature, Network literature will expand and mature in this age of consumption, regardless of whether it is typed on the computer or printed on paper...