Han Suyin: Between Eastern And Western Culture

Han Suyin is a well-known 20th century British writer of Chinese descent. On the basis of an analysis of the three kind of images Han Suyin is usually associated with within China as well as an understanding of the process of how these images come into being, the thesis places Han Suyin inbetween Chinese and Western culture, as belonging to both the Chinese as well as the Western culture. The thesis investigated the complicated linguistic environment that is neither fully identical with Chinese nor with Western culture but confronts and absorbes both cultural influences. This perspective on Han Suiyin's writing leads to a deeper as well as more comprehensive understanding of her work.Research literature on Han Suiyin's work offer three different images: she is portrayed as a cultural celebrity of the Hakka people, as a Chinese patriot or an intercultural ambassador. A thorough analysis of the reasons,the patterns as well as the outcome of this misreading of her work leads us to the following conclusion: First, the main reason for her strong cultural identification is her anxiousness to approve her identity, caused by a cultural identity crisis. The ambiguity of her identity results from a psychological reaction to the cultural alienation she suffered. Her autobiographical writing can thus be interpreted as an effort to fight her own anxiety. Secondly, when displaying her deep love for the Chinese nation and her criticism towards imperialism Han Suyin adheres to a third world perspective, but under the surface of this standpoint she hides her first world view of feeling superior. This dual perspective is caused by her personal experience and is in many ways inevitable. Thirdly, Han Suyin is regarded as an intercultural ambassador, but at the same time she suffers dual rejection as a citizen and as a writer.