Constructing An Ideal Diasporic Identity

Diaspora is a new phenomenon that emerged along with the globalization. This phenomenon gives rise to the diaspora literature, which draws the attention of more and more scholars from home and abroad in recent years. Studies on diasporic literature mainly focus on issues of migrants, identity and identification in the postcolonial context. Born to Barbadian parents, Paule Marshall is a prominent figure in American literature. Her first novel Brown Girl, Brownstones is characterized by its transnational and cross-cultural focus. The novel explores various issues of the Caribbean migrants concerning race, class, gender, etc. The literary critics at home mainly regard the novel as a Bildungsroman. There are few articles and theses devoted to the discussion of the construction of identity of the migrants, which actually deserves in-depth study. Based on post-colonial theories of Stuart Hall, Homi Bhabha and Paul Gilroy, this thesis intends to analyze the construction of an ideal diasporic identity in the novel from a postcolonial perspective.Chapter One is divided into three parts. The first part is a brief introduction to Paule Marshall and her works including story outline of Brown Girl, Brownstones and the book reviews. The second is the literature reviews at home and abroad about Paule Marshall's novels. This chapter then explains the postcolonial literary theory and the concepts of diaspora. It also lays out format of the thesis. Chapter Two discusses the identity crisis of the Barbadian migrants when they are caught between cultures and positioned between nations. Chapter Three investigates the failures in the Barbadians'struggle for an ideal diasporic identity, pointing out that full assimilation and passive resistance will lead to tragic results. Chapter Four points out that in constructing an ideal diasporic identity it is more reasonable to embrace hybridity and keep a balance between community value and individuality. Chapter Five summarizes the preceding chapters and points out that to construct an ideal diasporic identity, one need to undergo a liberating experience which is unstable, complex, and on-going. By discussing Brown Girl, Brownstones from the postcolonial perspective, the thesis hopes to help the readers to achieve better understandings of the novel and provoke further discussions of diasporic writings in a global framework.