A Comparison Of Identity Theme Between The Bluest Eye And The Woman Warrior

Toni Morrison and Maxine Hong Kingston,as female writers from ethnic minorities,enjoy high reputation in the American literary circle,and have special cultural identity and personality.In their novels,they always use ethnic minority females of American society as the main characters,as to interpret the severe identity problem they are facing.Taking Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye and Kingston's The woman Warrior as researching objects,starting from perspective of identity theory,this paper aims to make a comparative analysis of identity consciousness that represented by the two writers and their works,the following are the four parts of the paper.The introduction part mainly introduces the research background of selected topic,the research significance,research status at home and abroad.On the basis of combing the development of identity theory,the first chapter is to make a comparative analysis on social and cultural background between Morrison and Kingston,as well as the formation and influence to the two writers' identity consciousness.The first chapter compares and analyzes identity consciousness of the main characters created by the two writers.The second chapter represents the main characters' real suffering and cultural dilemmas,and analyzes different performance when they encountered identity problems,then makes further study on the theme connotation,aesthetic value,social and cultural meanings of the typical literary images' personalities and cultural personalities.The third chapter tries to make further explanation on theme connotation of identity and its aesthetic value,social and cultural significance from aesthetic,social and cultural points of view.This paper argues that Morrison and Kingston deeply felt in the identity dilemmas because of their “double identity” in American mainstream society,which is a majority white society.On the margins of the society,they accumulated their identity consciousness into forms of cultural personality and aesthetic emotions,they represented not only the confusions,pains,struggles,pursuit of ethnic minorities and reproduced the tragic survival of African American and Chinese American women in America,but also the possibilities and realistic choices of identity in the situation of identity dilemma and crisis.Morrison holds that African American women should resist the dual impact of racism and cultural colonization on theirbodies and minds by inheriting national culture to get a better life.Kingston advocates absorbing the essence of Chinese and American culture for multicultural fusion.The value and significance of their works not only lies in their concern for the situation of minority women,their reflection and criticism on racism and cultural colonization in American society,but also their exploration of escaping from tragic life as well as assumption of reconstructing a new cultural identity.The two writers' reflection and exploration on minority women's identity shows great responsibility,which is of great significance to promote the harmonious and stable development of minority groups in American society.