Where The Soul Belong—On The Literary Themes Of Yan Geling

Nowadays, in addition to the native Chinese literature on the mainland, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and overseas Chinese literature also occupies an important place. The literature researchers have also payed more and more attention to the study of overseas Chinese literature, among which the North American Chinese literary writer, Yan Geling, is the most striking. She is recognized as one of the strongest and the most unique new immigrant writer. From "female grass" in the 1980s to the newly published "bedside", Yan Geling presents the growth of a woman writer with rich life experience and keen sensibility.In this thesis, Yan Geling’s novels are divided into two categories according to the the writing periods. In the early period, the novels mainly describe exotic life of overseas Chinese immigrants with the theme of "migration"; in the later period, China’s history and the present impression become the main part with the theme of "China memories". This thesis discusses in three aspects:the first part makes an analysis of the early works on the various life of the "migrants" in exotic atmosphere, as well as the hard life and constant repression of human desire in cultural conflict. Faced with rejection from the West, the soul has no alternative but to keep wandering. They can not help but sadly ask "where is my hometown". The second part is mainly to look back at China memories, respectively describing Chinese historical memory from the perspectives of the rewritten personal history and the history under the ultimate human concern. Then this thesis extends from the historical to the contemporary to capture the impression of contemporary China, then the thesis makes a general analysis on the image of China created by Yan Geling, how it is constructed in reality and fiction, imagination and restoration, as well as the reduction of humanity. However, confronted with such an image of China, the soul still belongs nowhere. The third part is the analysis of the two main themes of Yan Geling’s works, that is, Constant and Variable. Based on the rational analysis, we can be obviously seen Yan Geling’s literary pursuits and deficiencies.In the creative process from exotic flavor to China memories, Yan Geling tried to find a way in which the others could have a better understanding of her. She sought for the place where the soul should belong with her literary themes changing from external appearance to internal feelings. It is estimable that the author always attached great importance to the legendary and readability of the plot, deliberating the secret of humanity as well as entrusting the humanism to literature.