Identity In Mavis Gallant’s Short Stories

Mavis Gallant is a famous Canadian writer, whose identity has a great effect on her artistic creation in literature. This thesis will interpret Gallant’s works in textual analysis approach from the perspective of identity, and primarily covers seven short stories, which include “Overhead in a Balloon”, “The Other Paris”, “Doctor”, “In Youth Is Pleasure”, “Between Zero and One”, “Varieties of Exile” and “Voices Lost in Snow”. Identity theory, Diaspora theory, and Cultural Acculturation Theory will be applied to analyze Gallant’s works from the perspectives of individual identity, cultural identity and multicultural identity.This thesis is composed of five parts. The introduction provides a brief presentation to author Gallant and her stories, a literary review on the study of Gallant, and the theoretical framework of identity.Chapter One analyzes Gallant’s works from the perspective of individual identity. Individual identity distinguishes and individual from others and the participation of social activities will achieve the personal identity construction. “Linnet Muir Story Cycle” proposes the question about how to define self. Linnet goes back to Canada to search true self and establishes her identity---exile. It makes a conclusion that Gallant projects her early experience into her writings. “Linnet Muir Story Cycle” is a semi-autobiography work of Gallant, which manifests Gallant’s individual experience, which has important effect on her artistic creation.Chapter Two explores the cultural identity in Gallant’s works. The first part is about Canadian identity seeking in “Linnet Muir Story Cycle”. Seeking Canadian identity in official bilingualism and Canadian national consciousness are included in “Canadianness”. The argument of official language, the bilingual French Catholic School and the opposition between English Canadian and French Canadian, are included in this chapter. These aspects show that the influence of bilingualism is one of “Canadian national identities”. The second part is about the Canadian identity construction in “Linnet Muir Story Cycle”. The “remittance man” Frank is an English immigrant, and he establishes his Canadian national identity through joining the army, and gets rid of the control of his mother country. Focused on the national identity, readers will interpret Gallant’s minds further. Gallant had lived in France for many years, but her Canadian national identity was inerasable.Chapter Three analyzes the multicultural identity in Gallant’s works. Diaspora Theory and Cultural Acculturation Theory were applied to analyze diasporic characters. Walter in “Overhead in a Balloon” and Carol in “The Other Paris” are immigrants who live in Paris. Walter moves into Robert’s house to adapt to the life in Paris, and Carol desires to assimilate into Paris dominant culture. However, Walter and Carol are never accepted by local Parisians. Walter and Carol are the representative characters of the diasporic group, and their lives represent the status of the diasporic group. Gallant has a multicultural identity, and her immigrating experience has an effect on her. In conclusion, Gallant describes the dilemma and pursuit of expatriates in her works, appealing the attentions on them.Conclusion briefly reviews the content of the thesis, which states concludes that Gallant’s identity is the key to her artistic creation, and points out the significance of the thesis.Through the studies of Mavis Gallant’s works in the perspective of identity, this thesis not only provides a new perspective for the research of Mavis Gallant, but also is of great referential significance, which helps Chinese people to understanding Canadian literature further.