A Postcolonial Study Of The Diaspora Identity In J.M. Coetzee's Slow Man

In 2003,John Maxwell Coetzee,a typical diasporic writer won the prestigious award,the Nobel Prize in Literature.His unique writing skills and diversified perspectives are the result of his diaspora experiences which enrich his life,broaden his horizon and provide him with a mixed cultural identity.Slow Man,the first novel that came out in 2005 after Coetzee finally settled down in Australia thoroughly shows readers the real life of the immigrants in Australia as well as what Coetzee has gone through.Among Coetzee's novels,Slow Man is,quite evidently,far from famous.However,its publication still draws attention of numerous critics for its thought-provoking theme and its poignant revelation of the life of Australian immigrants.It lays stress on immigrants' identity,or to be more specific,it depicts emphatically the cultural alienation and language anxiety of those who are wandering between mother culture and local culture.Recently,the number of immigrants in the world increases dramatically.The issue of immigrants' identity seizes more and more scholars' attention.This thesis endeavors to explore the diaspora identity of three main characters in Slow Man from the perspective of postcolonial theory.This thesis is composed of three parts,apart from the introduction and conclusion.The introduction briefly shows the life and works of Coetzee,illustrates the postcolonial theory and the diaspora identity,and puts emphasis on the criticism of postcolonial theory and Coetzee's Slow Man at home and abroad.Chapter One reveals the identity crisis of the immigrants,giving a detailed demonstration of their diaspora experiences and language anxiety.A close look into the details of the immigrants' life reveals the awkward situation the immigrants find themselves in: the lack of the sense of belonging caused by the diaspora.Chapter Two adequatelyanalyzes the underlying causes of the identity crisis,such as cultural alienation and the consequent conflicts among the ethnic groups.The thesis holds that to a great extent,the identity crisis is caused by the loss of cultural connections with the motherland and the difficulty in integrating into the local culture.Chapter Three discusses how the immigrants try to reclaim their identity.They learn to find a balance between their mother culture and the new culture.Besides,they come to understand that mutual assistance among the immigrants is indispensable.Equally important for the immigrants is to create and preserve their own history.The final part comes to a conclusion that Coetzee,as a typical diasporic writer,has always been questing for his cultural identity,which is reflected in Slow Man.He pays great attention to immigrants' plights and tries to provide them with some effective ways to ease the pressure that they encounter in the local land.