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>Creating identity: An exploration of second-generation Asian Americans in 'The Joy Luck Club', 'Mona in the Promised Land', and 'Native Speaker' (Amy Tan, Gish Jen, Chang-Rae Lee).
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Creating identity: An exploration of second-generation Asian Americans in 'The Joy Luck Club', 'Mona in the Promised Land', and 'Native Speaker' (Amy Tan, Gish Jen, Chang-Rae Lee).
The portrayal of second generation Asian Americans in literature reveals the complex nature of individuals struggling to reconcile their cultural background, of their ethnic heritage and of the mainstream society. These individuals, born and raised in a society whose ideals and way of life differ dramatically from the values of their immigrant parents, must not only reckon with the proverbial generational gap that exists between parent and child but also with the cultural gap created by being reared by parents who are firmly rooted in the culture of their homeland and living in a society with completely different social expectations.; Through Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club, Gish Jen's Mona in the Promised Land, and Chang-Rae Lee's Native Speaker, 'Creating Identity' explores the identity issues of individuals caught between two, often contradictory, cultures, offering three key opposing ideals which play an important role in the characters' journey towards self-realization: silence versus voice; community versus the individual; and economic growth versus spiritual growth. This thesis presents the idea that these three subthemes are at the fundamental core of the ideals set forth by both cultures; hence, the very act of self-creation is the conscious and unconscious choices these characters make with respect to these values. The characters of Tan, Jen, and Lee push the boundaries set forth by birth and circumstance to give birth to an unique self.
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