Interpretations Of Love In Through The Arc Of Rain Forest

Karen Tei Yamashita is one of the representative writers of Asian American avant-garde.As a Japanese American writer,she has mainly focused on ethnic minority immigrants who cross borders of nations to establish homeland and shown her deep concerns over human situation in her literary creation.What behind the tragedy of Through the Arc of Rain Forest is the reflection of the human situation,referring to the “loss of homeland” caused by people's inability to love others and nature.Based on that,this thesis applies Fromm's theory of love to the interpretation of the significance of love in this novel.Chapter One interprets the phenomena of the disintegration of love,including immature interpersonal love manifested by the loss of “personal innocence,” referring to the morbid love of couples,incomplete love of parents,and apathetic brotherly love.And then,this thesis interprets possessive love for nature manifested by the loss of “communal innocence,” represented by the alienated pigeons,feathers,and Matac?o plastic caused by alienation of consumption and technology.In the capitalist world of spectacles and presentations,characters gradually lose their ability to love.Chapter Two probes into the aftermath of disintegrated love,referring to the “loss of homeland.” During the process of pursuing homeland,characters cannot reach union with others and the surroundings in love,resulting in the mutation in Matac?o,which represents the loss of geographic homeland.The whirling ball before Kazumasa's forehead,as the unnatural narrator,narrates the tragic stories in Matac?o from the point of view of the Earth.The disappearance of the ball symbolizes the loss of caring and intimate relationship as well as the loss of faith in God,which is the symbol of the loss of spiritual homeland.At the same time,it might be author's intention to alert people to love their shared homeland---the Earth.Chapter Three analyzes the construction of love,including interpersonal love and human's love for nature.Giving,care and respect are the essential elements of interpersonal love while the keys to human's love for nature lie in attentiveness to nature and responsibility for it.Unlike Tweep who loses his life in Matac?o,Kazumasa's regaining of homeland shows the significance of love.The sublimation of interpersonal love and love for nature is represented by people's love for the land.Everyone should love the land as Kazumasa,and respect and care about everything on the land.At the same time,people should also take an obligation to the land.Only in this way can people get along well with other members in the “land-community” lastingly.This thesis provides a new point of view for the interpretation of Yamashita's works,which initiates people's thinking about “love.” It provides a guidance as to how to love others and surroundings for people who live in such a world fraught with material wants and desires.Through a close reading of the novel Through the Arc of Rain Forest,this thesis analyzes the cause and aftermath of disintegrated love as well as the construction of love,foregrounding the importance of love in establishing homeland outside birthplaces for the diasporic population in the context of globalization and highlighting Yamashita's humanistic concern.According to Yamashita,the answer to the problem of human existence lies in the fact that people should reach union with self,others,and nature in love.