Modernist Narrative Characteristics Of Crossings By Chinese American Writer Chuang Hua

Crossings, originally published in 1968, is the only work by Chinese American writer Chuang Hua. It has long been regarded as the first modernist novel in the history of Chinese American literature. Since its experimental style, it was neglected for many years until it was republished in 1986. In contrast to many other Asian American works that mainly focus on the hard life of lower-middle-class Chinese Americans in Chinatowns, ―Crossings is the fullest expression of the upper-class female émigré experience‖. As a semi-autobiographical novel, this work focuses on the protagonist, Fourth Jane‘s whole progress of searching for self in her numerous physical and mental dislocations.The literary modernism is an influential literary movement that prevailed in west capitalist countries from the late 19 th century to the early 20 th century. A series of anti-traditional literary schools are included in this trend. Although applying different styles and techniques, authors in that era adopt common narrative techniques. Symbolism and stream-of consciousness narratives remain to be significant methods and searching for self is one of the major themes in modernist works. Based on the interpretation of Chuang Hua‘s Crossings and related narratological theories, this thesis intends to explore the modernist narrative characteristics employed by Crossings from the perspective of modernist literary criticism.The main body of this thesis will be divided into five chapters. The first chapter seeks to give a general introduction to the novel, the author Chuang Hua, current research on Crossings as well as an introduction to modernism in the terms of the background of generation and artistic characteristics of modernist fictions. The second chapter is a detailed analysis of the stream-of-consciousness narratives embodied in Crossings. Such innovative techniques applied in Crossings as free association, interior monologue and time-montage are supposed to be revealed. The third chapter elaborates the analysis of symbolism in Crossings. The fourth chapter proceeds to the analysis of narrative techniques like anachrony, shifting of narrative perspectives and plot-weakening adopted by Crossings. The last chapter concludes the study of this thesis. An extra artistic effect can be achieved by the use of modernist narratives in Crossings and the steady position Chuang Hua occupies in the field of Chinese American literature cannot be shaken.