英文摘要
|
The essay aims to examine the short short stories of Liu Daren Liu. These stories delineate his experience of looking back on China from a foreign land. The foreign land is the basis of the setting, the starting point, and the modes of reflection in the stories: the differences in locales create contrasts, present distinctive features, and lead to changes in perspective. Looking back involves reflectiveness of thought, nostalgic affection, and the hope to recognize and reaffirm one's cultural identity. China, as Liu looks back, is not merely a native land, but a spiritual and cultural homeland; therefore, it becomes a recurring theme in his stories. As Liu's works have been much discussed, this essay will focus on the themes and sections which have not been deeply explored and classify them into four categories, which are not only closely related to the predicament of contemporary Chinese people but also illuminate the points of conflict in cross-cultural interaction: 1. Science and religion; 2. China/Chinese and the sense of being forgotten in the margins of America and the world; 3. humanity reaffirming itself through struggles; and 4. the competition and reconciliation of cultural differences. It is finally argued that Liu expects to reconcile the cultural conflicts on these four accounts to achieve eventual harmony.
|