On Cultural Identity In The Gravedigger's Daughter Under Diaspora Criticism

Joyce Carol Oates is one of the most prolific and influential contemporary American writers.The Gravedigger's Daughter was published in 2007.In the novel,Oates depicts the identity struggle of a Schwart family from the 1930 s to the 1960 s.They escaped to America from German Nazis during the World War II.Based on the diaspora criticism,W.E.B Duboi and Stuart Hall's theory on cultural identity,this thesis tries to study the formation of double consciousness of Jacob and Rebecca and their attitudes towards it by investigating their behavior,language,religion and culture,thus exploring a feasible mechanism for diasporic people to solve identity crisis when faced with double cultural identities.The thesis consists of five chapters.Chapter One introduces Joyce Carol Oates and her works,presents the theoretical framework,and states the thesis statement.Chapter Two analyzes the formation of the characters' Jewish American identity by tracing back the diasporic history and distinctive characteristics of Jewish people as well as how they try to assimilate into foreign culture.In Chapter Three,Jacob's attitudes towards his double cultural identities are discussed by way of analyzing his passive assimilation into American culture and insistence on Jewish identity.Chapter Four discusses the conflict between Rebecca's American identity and Jewish identity and how she attempts to construct a balanced cultural identity in light of Stuart Hall's diaspora identity,thus revealing a new interpretation of the cultural identity of Jewish Americans.Chapter Five is the conclusion.Throughout the study of the cultural identities of Rebecca and Jacob,the thesis points out ways for diasporic Jews to define their cultural identity in foreign culture;and it also strengthens the significance of applying double consciousness to study contemporary Jewish American literature.