The short stories written by Ha Jin contain messages and details of Chinese life that would be illegal to read in his homeland. For instance in Saboteur, he depicts a man basically framed by the police of the city he is in. This story which clearly shows the controlling and manipulative behavior of Chinese officials would be criminal if distributed to the masses in China. This kind of conflict would further deter writers from creating literature that reflects the reality of the situation they live in. It will continue to be tailored to the needs of the communist party leaders as we see in Jin’s story A Tiger-Fighter is Hard to Find. Here the producers of a short film create a scene that satisfies the propaganda the party wants the citizens of China to believe, no matter how unrealistic they are.
If Conrad had written Heart of Darkness in his native language, I think it would have affected the impact his story had on the world and postcolonial literature. By writing in English, he opened the doors to the people that would be able to read and understand the issues faced in Africa. Had he written in his native language I believe he would have been seen in a different light, taking the role of an outsider to western society trying to portray an injustice without having the foothold to do so. Having tailored it to an English audience, he proved a connection with Western society and thus bought himself more respect.
For Jin to write his stories in English, having been a migrant to the US, changed his perspective on writing. He was no longer just a Chinese native writing about conflict he perceived within the limits of his immediate world, but instead his perspective was cultured and he was able to gain wider view of his homeland, by being outside of it. In this way his experience with Western culture made it possible for him to so accurately portray the affects the American restaurant “Cowboy Chicken” would have on a society that operates very differently than it is used to.
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It sounds like you guys are reading about a different culture just like we are. You are reading about the trials and things that go along with being chinese. We are reading the interpreter of maladies which is about people in India. They teach us about different cultures and their beleifs and ways of life. In all the short stories we read the main characters were from India. We learned about arranged marriages,and indian customs, and all of that stuff.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree that Ha Jin's stories wouldn't have had nearly the impact they have had were they written in Chinese, mostly because the Chinese government would not permit them to be read in the major country to which they could apply; China. All that being said, his use of the language sometimes highlights the distinctions in vernacular between the Chinese and the West, which I believe is a method of using the master's tools against him, not to be too cliched with my analysis. All things considered, Jin is commenting equally on the two societies he represents and addresses, both in positive and negative lights (I feel this is especially evident in Cowboy Chicken!)
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