An Influence Study Of Donald Duk By Chinese American Writer Frank Chin

Frank Chin is one of the most important Chinese American writers. He is co-editor of thegroundbreaking book Aiiieeeee! An Anthology of Asian-American Writers, and he is alsoknown by some as Godfather of Asian American Literature. Donald Duk is the first novel ofFrank Chin, though he authored plays and essays and short stories before this. Frank Chinmakes a story of Donald’s growth experience by special writing skill,“dreams”. By rewriting“Heroism” and myths found in Chinese Classical Literature, Frank Chin dedicates to make achange to the negative stereotypes of Chinaman, and he makes efforts to reconstructingpositive image of Chinese male immigrants.This thesis aims at exploring influences of Chinese Classic Literature to Frank Chin’snovel Donald Duk, by comparing it with Chinese novel The Outlaws of the Marsh, from theperspective of cross cultural study.In Chapter One, a brief introduction is given to Chinese American writer Frank Chin andhis novel Donald Duk, and it is followed by some introduction to Comparative Study as a wayto do this study, which includes defining related terms and explaining research methods. Andit also contains a brief introduction of Influence Study.In Chapter Two, it takes great parts in expressing the influence of Chinese ClassicalLiterature on Donald Duk. It concentrates on making a comparison between The Outlaws ofthe Marsh and Donald Duk by close reading, so that it will find out the influence of TheOutlaws of the Marsh to Donald Duk. It mainly includes artistic features of imagination,narrative skills and supporting characters. This chapter consists three sections. Section oneexplains “shaping real images from virtual conformation” in The Outlaws of the Marsh anddreams in Donald Duk in order to show the influence between the two literary works inartistic features of imagination. Section two mainly makes a comparison in narrative skills by“designing” and “arranging” in The Outlaws of the Marsh and hidden narrative in DonaldDuk. In the third section, it shows the “the inn attendant (Xiao Er)” in The Outlaws of theMarsh and the “communicative character” Arnold in Donald Duk to make a clear expressionin the angle of supporting characters.Chapter Three shows Frank Chin’s rewriting of Chinese heroes and myths in DonaldDuk, and points out the characteristics of intertextuality in Frank Chin’s rewriting, as well asthe transplantation in Frank Chin’s rewriting of Chinese classic literature. Finally it discussesthe subversion of Frank Chin’s intertextuality and transplantation.Chapter Four is mainly about the reconstruction of the image of Chinese maleimmigrants through the story Donald Duk. First, it makes a brief description of the negativestereotypes of Chinaman. Secondly, it shows the reconstruction of the image of ChineseAmerican by appropriating heroes from The Outlaws of the Marsh. It includes the descriptionof the contribution of the Chinese Americans to the railroad and the reconstruction of Chinese American immigrants’ masculine tradition by “Kwan Kung Complex” in Donald Duk.Besides, there is some comment on the reconstruction of Chinese Male immigrants’ images.Chapter Five is a brief conclusion. It shows the summary of this study and all thefindings of the study; At the same time, it concludes the contribution Frank Chin has made toChinese American literature by writing Donald Duk.