本文既展示了韩素音在身份认同方面的困惑，还对产生的原因加以分析。小说《瑰宝》中主人公对身份探寻的强烈意愿,在韩素音的身上得到了积极体现。
Chapter One The Confusion of Identity in A Many-Splendoured Thing
1.1 Social Identity Confusion
Tajfel (1986) introduced the concept of “social identity”, which refers to the individuals belonging to a social group and the emotional and value significance of their group membership. A social group is defined as two or more people who identify and evaluate themselves in the same way, have a standard definition of who they are and their attributes, and follow the same pattern of interaction with non-members of the group. Group membership involves the comparison of collective concepts, such as “we” and “they”, while self-identity refers to the comparison of “I” and “you” in individual images. Therefore, social identity refers to the tendency to define personal positioning according to their social group. People may feel anxiety when unique positioning deviates from group expectations or misunderstandings, resulting in a lack of identity.
1.1.1 Helplessly Sending Sister Suchen to Western Country
Han Suyin and Han Suchen have the same growth experience. They were born in a family different from traditional Chinese families. Their father is Chinese, while their mother is a Belgian aristocrat. Therefore, they have lived in a combination of Chinese and Western families from an early age and received both Chinese and Western educational methods at the same time. However, at the beginning of the 20th century, due to the invasion of the West, Chinese society was generally hostile to Westerners, and Eurasian people like them were naturally unpopular and even regarded as alien by the people around them.
Chapter Two The Reasons for the Confusion of Identity in A Many-Splendoured Thing
2.1 The Reasons for the Confusion of Identity in Social Aspect
The lack of social identity coexists with post-colonial criticism, feminism, and cultural identity, which has been confirmed by many other literary criticism and cultural studies. The self-construction of the “Other” and the differences in the binary opposites related to it, such as rationality/sensibility, existence/absence, male/female, white/colored, colonizer/colonized, often involve power relations. The party holding power has a positive identity, while the other party becomes a subordinate “Other”. In terms of gender, women are the “Other” in the patriarchal society. In terms of ethnic groups, ethnic minorities are “Others”. In terms of race, colored people are “Others”. Geographically, the East is the “Other”. In terms of countries, in the colonial era, the developing countries were the “Others”. In terms of cultural attribution, heterogeneous culture, and non-Western culture are “Others”. Said’s (2009) Orientalism pointed out that the development and maintenance of each culture required the existence of a heterogeneous and competitive “Other”. The East was a competitor of European culture and is one of the most common “Other” images in Europe. The construction of the East helps the West define it as the image, concept, human nature, and experience that contrasts with the East.
Chapter Three The Reconstruction and Significance of Identity in A Many-Splendoured Thing
3.1 The Reconstruction of Identity
In the Cold War era, Han Suyin’s identity was rooted in - but not bound by the Asian consciousness. She had an open dual vision which helped to construct her own identity to reflect flexible and dialectical critical thinking. Han Suyin’s love for China was evident to all, which can be seen in the sentence “I trust in the Chinese people” that appeared in many of her works, especially in the novel A Many-Splendoured Thing. When facing some abnormal situations in modern China, Han Suyin strengthened her feelings for the motherland and was proud of her Chinese descent. However, she also understood that only the integration of East and West at all levels could promote social progress. The integration of the two cultures can give Hong Kong authentic regional culture and charm.
3.1.1 The Resolution at the Social Level
3.1 The Reconstruction of Identity In the Cold War era, Han Suyin’s identity was rooted in - but not bound by the Asian consciousness. She had an open dual vision which helped to construct her own identity to reflect flexible and dialectical critical thinking. Han Suyin’s love for China was evident to all, which can be seen in the sentence “I trust in the Chinese people” that appeared in many of her works, especially in the novel A Many-Splendoured Thing. When facing some abnormal situations in modern China, Han Suyin strengthened her feelings for the motherland and was proud of her Chinese descent. However, she also understood that only the integration of East and West at all levels could promote social progress. The integration of the two cultures can give Hong Kong authentic regional culture and charm. 3.1.1 The Resolution at the Social Level
3.2 The Significance of Identity Reconstruction
Although Han Suyin’s novel A Many-Splendoured Thing intercepts the events of 1949-1950, it shows the living environment, spiritual confusion, cultural conflict, civilization split, future development, and other major practical problems of people in the turbulent society of China and the West in the late World War II. The novel also expresses Han Suyin’s pursuit of cultural identity, her concern for vulnerable groups, and the humanitarian spirit of the whole of humanity. The survival dilemma, identity problems, and spiritual confusion experienced by the marginalized groups of society reflect the crisis of modern society and civilization and the confusion, hesitation, and anxiety brought by real life, and reflect Han Suyin’s deep concern about society, era, and human destiny. Han Suyin uses her unique voice to describe the thinking about human beings living conditions and identities. She seeks spiritual identity and ideological attribution in her works.
Han Suyin revealed the reasons for this situation by telling the survival plight and identity crisis of the marginal groups in the colonies, highlighting the conflict caused by different cultures and the impact on human survival and development. Han Suyin deeply reflected on the relationship between different cultures and the development of world civilization, especially in exploring the survival and growth of human beings, and discussed the theme of cultural exchange and spiritual exploration. It has injected fresh vitality into both or more cultures, avoided the decline of culture, and promoted the common development of culture. Respecting differences has achieved multiple symbioses and improved the spiritual level of individuals and groups. Han Suyin has been paying attention to people in the context of multicultural conflict and integration. The identity confusion and anxiety they encounter have particular literary significance for marginalized groups’ survival and future development.
Conclusion
Han Suyin, a British Chinese female writer in the 1970s, witnessed the turbulence and changes of the times, experienced the life of the marginal “Other”, suffered the confusion and crisis of identity, and continuously pursued identification with her own identity. Han Suyin has her own experience of life, profound insights into social issues, and unique insights into life. The maverick Han Suyin is an adherent to the actual existence, never fears difficulties, and writing is an artistic expression of this way of life. The wandering life situation and sensitive female experience have contributed to Han Suyin’s unique creative philosophy and writing style.
The novel A Many-Splendoured Thing expands from the aspects of spiritual pursuit and cultural exchange. Han Suyin, who returned from studying in England, was stranded in Hong Kong, which was still a colony at the time due to the turmoil in the Mainland. This experience made her a marginalized person who found it difficult to integrate into colonial life and join the white mainstream society in Europe. The isolation of feudal society in Mainland China has also caused some emotional confusion for Han Suyin, resulting in a deep identity dilemma. The description of regional dispersion, cultural alienation, and spiritual pain by Han Suyin in the novel is a true portrayal of the author himself. Han Suyin, who pursues fairness and justice, came into contact with the critical spirit and humanitarian feelings of communism and Marxism during her return to the Chinese Mainland. She is proud of herself as a real Chinese and firmly believes in serving the motherland. This experience not only affects Han Suyin’s life and thoughts but also deeply affects her subsequent series of works. When Han Suyin faced some abnormal situations in modern China, her feelings for her motherland became increasingly firm, and she became proud of her Chinese ancestry. But she also understands that only cultural integration can promote social progress, highlighting the impact of spiritual enhancement and cultural exchange on survival conditions and identity.
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（本文摘自网络）
