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A Study of the Chinese Americans’ Dreams in Gish Jen’s Typical American
ZHANG Hui
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DOI:10.17265/2159-5836/2015.04.001
Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, China
Published in 1991, Jen’s Typical American depicts a first-generation Chinese immigrant family’s pursuing their American Dream in the Post-War American society. By choosing Chinese American immigrants as her main characters and describing their struggling in the American society, Jen expresses her understanding of being Americans. In the novel, as they move from “sojourners” to American citizens, the Chang family shows different attitude towards Chinese and American cultural values. The dreams they pursue also vary. This thesis, through an analysis of the dreams the Chang family pursue in Typical American, attempts to demonstrate how the Chang family identify with their cultural identities in this process, and how they evolve from “sojourners” to “typical Americans”.
Chinese Americans, dreams, Gish Jen, Typical American, cultural identities
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