The Construction Of "Strategic Sisterhood" In Lisa See’s China Dolls

Chinese American writer Lisa See is renowned for her description of Asian American women on the margin of power and culture who are confronted with the dual oppression of patriarchy and racism.Setting around the time of America’s participation in WWII,See’s historical novel China Doll focuses on the sisterhood between Chinese American and Japanese American women who are regarded as the"subaltern".Compared to the ordinary friendship,sisterhood focuses more on women ’s shared experience of being oppressed.The three heroines are similar in age,interest and experience.These commonalities lay the foundation for the formation of sisterhood.They support each other,confide their traumas,and unify to rebel against sexist and racist oppression.However,the construction of sisterhood is lined with difficulties.This thesis analyzes the factors that may lead to the breakdown of their relationship.Firstly,over-dependence results in the loss of female autonomy and equality.Secondly,the lack of understanding and tolerance of differences brings out misunderstandings Thirdly,the "compulsive heterosexual love" splits women’ intimate relationship,intensifying the "love war".Fourthly,Japanese’s invasion of China arouses national hatred in Chinese Americans,making sisterhood deteriorate;Last but not the least,the white male-dominated America divides ethnic women through "comparative racism",leaving them in conflicts.This thesis then discusses the restoration of their sisterhood and analyzes the reconstruction of their strategic sisterhood.Strategic sisterhood is essentially a kind of sisterhood that pays equal attention to the commonalities and differences among women.It is an "instrumentalist" method encouraging women from different backgrounds to carry out "partial cooperation".In this novel,the three Asian American dancers accomplish their re-identification through rediscovery of their own uniqueness and returning to their ethnic communities.In that process,they deeply understand the causes and possible effects of their differences.Sisterhood is of great significance for women to fight against oppression and to reconstruct their Self.To go further,strategic Sisterhood,which is inclusive to differences,paves the way for Asian women to establish a "yellow-black alliance"with the blacks and a bonding with men to fight for independence and emancipation.Thus,combined with a close reading of China Dolls,this thesis is meant to work out the formative mechanism of "sisterhood" from the perspective of feminism,and meant to analyze how "strategic sisterhood",hopefully,can be inspiring for all the oppressed to be solidified regardless their gender,race,ethnicity and class,etc.