A Study Of Narrative Ethics In Shanghai Girls

Lisa See is one of the most important Chinese American writers.Shanghai Girls,one of her novels,remains on The New York Times' best seller list for weeks after publication and surprises American literary circle.In this novel,Lisa See expresses rich ethical ideas to readers through touching personal stories and delicate narrative techniques.Thus in this thesis,narrative ethics theory will be applied to explore the story ethics and narrative ethics contained in the female narrative,family narrative and racial narrative.This thesis consists of five chapters.Chapter one mainly introduces the life and writing experience of Lisa See,main plot of Shanghai Girls and the research status of this novel both at home and abroad.Chapter two elaborates the appearance and development of narrative ethics theory,crucial concepts of narrative ethics theory,and important representatives of this theory and their main ideas.Chapter three explores the ethical ideas in female narrative in Shanghai Girls.In Shanghai Girls,female narrative refers to how females in China and in America fight against patriarchal society and seek for self-value during 1930s and 1940s.In the first place,this chapter discusses the sexual oppression that females suffer from in a male-dominated society.Subsequently,the story ethics is studied,that is,in what way females of two generations in Pearl's family gain strength and courage from maternal love to resist patriarchy and find self-meaning.Afterwards,this chapter analyzes the narrative ethics in female narration,that is,how Lisa See skillfully uses scene and ellipsis of narrative time to highlight sexual oppression and females' resistance and pursuit.In the end,Lisa See's ethical ideas on females are summarized—females should obtain power from maternal love to resist sexual oppression and seek self-value.Chapter four analyzes the ethical ideas in Shanghai Girls from the aspect of family narrative.This chapter studies how the conflicts among family members are aroused and eliminated.In this chapter,the ethics contained in Chinese family and American family is described and compared at first.Subsequently,the story ethics in family narration is explored.In Pearl's family,conflicts appear between mother and daughter as well as husband and wife,for these family members confine their thinking to themselves.But they reach reconciliation with each other by effective communication.Afterwards,this chapter studies the narrative ethics.During narrating,Lisa See uses first person internal perspective to present Pearl's objective and unreliable judgment to her mother and to her husband.And then Lisa See switches to first person external perspective which enables Pearl to learn others' authentic thinking by listening and communicating.In the end,Lisa See's ethical ideas on family are summarized,that is,family members should communicate efficiently and effectively to resolve conflicts.Chapter five studies the ethical ideas in Shanghai Girls contained in race narrative.This chapter mainly focuses on how Chinese immigrants earn their living in America.The chapter firstly introduces the racial discrimination Chinese immigrants undergo during 1930-1950.Subsequently,in order to explore the story ethics,this chapter analyzes how Pearl confronts the sense of no belonging by making delicious Chinese food and accepting jobs with racial discrimination so as to live.Followingly,the narrative ethics is discussed.By delineating the miserable living space in Chinatown,Lisa See shows the racial discrimination in America.What's more,Pearl's resistance and compromise to racial discrimination are demonstrated by the change of living space.In the end,Lisa See's ethical ideas on race are summarized,that is,Chinese in America should make efforts to improve their living state.The conclusion summarizes the narrative ethics contained in Shanghai Girls and the methods Lisa See adopts to construct her ethical ideas.In order to express her ethical ideas on females,Lisa See narrates female stories and controls narrative time,which helps emphasize patriarchal oppression on females and females' pursuit to self-consciousness and self-value.As for the construction of ethical ideas on family,Lisa See,by telling family stories and switching narrative perspective,highlights the importance of communication in resolving family conflicts and realizing family harmony.Moreover,so as to deliver ethical ideas on race,Lisa See tells racial stories and describes narrative space to present Chinese American's living ethics,that is,Chinese American should endeavor to improve their living state.All in all,people should strive to live a happier life.