【作者】 刘洋；

【导师】 姜蕾；

【作者基本信息】 辽宁大学 ， 英语语言文学， 2010， 硕士

【摘要】 任碧莲是著名的当代美国华裔作家之一,与谭恩美、李键孙及雷祖威并称为美国华裔文坛“四人帮”。随着汤婷婷和谭恩美的小说获得成功之后,任碧莲的处女作《典型的美国佬》成为吸引美国人关注华裔世界的又一力作。该书获得1991年度“纽约时报年度图书奖”并入围“美国全国图书评论奖”。《典型的美国佬》讲述了一个美国故事。主人公拉尔夫·张赴美学习工程学。然而由于签证过期,拉尔夫作为非法移民遭受了许多挫折与困难。不久他被姐姐特雷萨解救,而后与其好友海伦结婚,从此三人开始了新生活。因为受到美国当地人的歧视,张家人对他们眼里所谓的“典型的美国佬”怀有偏见,并牢牢坚守着他们的中国文化身份。然而,在他们结交了一个完全被美国化的华人格里夫后,张家人渐渐地被物质主义和个人主义等美国价值观所影响和腐蚀：在盲目的融入美国主流社会的过程中,拉尔夫舍弃了教授职位并靠投机非法敛财,后被格里夫欺骗,导致他的生意破产。与此同时,他的家庭也已破碎：妻子海伦和格里夫有了奸情；姐姐.特雷萨因无法认同格里夫的金钱至上论而被逐出家门。经历了这场家庭悲剧后,特雷萨为了帮助拉尔夫度过难关而重返张家,拉尔夫亦与海伦破镜重圆。至此,张家人重新走到一起。最终,他们真正明白了美国人的实质并成功地成为“典型的美国佬”。本论文从美国华裔移民文化身份认同的角度来解读作品《典型的美国佬》。通过剖析张家人来美后的发展变化过程：从对中国文化身份的固守,到后来完全被美国化,再到遭遇困难后自我醒悟,并最终对自我文化身份的重新建立,发掘出张家人随着生活环境的变化而变化的价值取向,思想及生活方式,从而揭示“大熔炉”文化同化模式的弊端,提倡在美国应采用“色拉盘”式的多元文化模式。主张华裔移民在美国文化的冲击下建立自身文化身份时,既不可以盲目固守自身传统文化,同时也不能被全盘美国化,即：不要依托于单元文化,应对中美文化进行有选择的吸收与融会贯通。本论文由导论、正文和结论三部分构成：导论部分首先介绍国内外学术界对于小说《典型的美国佬》的研究现状,继而提出本文研究的创新点,即：从文化身份认同的角度来分析此小说。而后对“文化身份”这一概念进行阐述,为论文的展开进行铺垫,最后阐释出本论文在学术上的应用价值及理论意义。正文部分分为三章：第一章分析张家人初到美国时的旅居心态。来美后所受到的歧视与不公平待遇使他们迫切需要一种身份归属感来抵御和减弱来自外界环境的冲击,从而导致了张家人对于自身中国文化身份的固守以及对西方文化盲目的排斥。第二章阐释张家人受美国价值观影响,逐渐抛弃中国文化传统,彻底被美国文化同化的过程。随着旅美时间的推移,张家人渐渐被美国文化中的物质主义及个人主义所腐化,渐渐在价值观及行为方式上愈加美国化,并在追求他们“美国梦”的过程中彻底的丧失自身文化传统。第三章论述由于全盘美国化所遭受失败后,张家人重新建立文化身份的过程。由于“美国梦”的破碎,张家人在迷失与绝望中自省,逐渐理解了“典型美国佬”的实质,学会了如何在中美文化碰撞最激烈的环境下处理好两者的关系,并重新建立了自身文化身份。结论部分总结全文。此部分在华裔移民文化身份确立及正确处理文化碰撞的问题上得出结论。最后指出本论文的主旨：成为真正的典型美国佬就要拥有双重文化身份,同时将中美文化有选择地融合与吸收,要“去他糟粕,取我精华。”更多还原

【Abstract】 Gish Jen is one of the famous contemporary Chinese American writers. With Amy Tan, Gus Lee and David Wong Louie, Jen is labeled of "the Gang of Four" in the Chinese American literary circle. Following the success of the novels by Maxine Hong Kingston and Amy Tan, Typical American, Gish Jen’s virgin work is one of the masterworks drawing the American reader’s attention to the Chinese immigrants. It is a New York Times notable book and a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award.Typical American tells an American story. The hero Ralph Chang goes to study engineering in the US. Due to the expiration of visa, Ralph has suffered many setbacks and difficulties as illegal immigrant. Later he is rescued by his sister Theresa, and then he marries her friend Helen to begin a new life together with Theresa. Despised by the Americans around, the Changs bear prejudice against their supposed "typical American" and adhere firmly to their Chinese cultural identity. However, after they make a friend with Grover, a Chinese totally Americanized, they begin to be influenced and corroded by some corrupt American values such as materialism and individualism:during their irrational integration into American society mainstream, Ralph discards his career as professor and begins to make money illegally, while later his business is bankrupt due to Grover’s deception. Meanwhile, his family gets separated:his wife Helen and Grover have an affair; his sister Theresa has been driven out of the family because of her disagreement on Grover’s money-oriented principle. After this family tragedy Theresa comes back home to help Ralph go through the hardship, and Ralph is reconciled with Helen. Till then the Changs are still together. Finally, they have really understood the essence of the American and succeeded in becoming the " typical American "This thesis analyzes Typical American from the perspective of Chinese immigrants’ cultural identity. It discusses the evolution of the Changs in the US:from their adherence to Chinese cultural identity at first to the complete Americanization later, then to their rebuilding of cultural identity after suffering difficulties at last. In this analysis their changes in values, mode of thinking and lifestyle along with the changing environment can be found. The thesis points out the disadvantage of the "Melting Pot" cultural assimilation mode and supports American multiculturalism symbolized by "Salad Bowl". It suggests that in building cultural identity Chinese immigrants should not blindly adhere to their Chinese culture, nor should they be Americanized completely. That is to say, the Chinese immigrants should not resort to one single culture but blend the best of Chinese and American cultures in the issue of building cultural identity.This thesis consists of an introduction, the main body and a conclusion:Introduction presents an overview of the current research on Typical American and the innovative point of this thesis, that is, to analyze this novel from the perspective of cultural identity. Then the concept of cultural identity is explained for the analysis in the thesis. Finally, the value and the meaning of this thesis in the study are presented.The main body is made up of three chapters:Chapter One analyses the Changs’early sojourners’mentalities after entering the US. Since they come to America, the discrimination and unfairness they have suffered compel them to look for a certain identity as a sense of belonging to resist the attacks from outside. Therefore, the Changs adhere to their Chinese cultural identity and reject the American culture blindly.Chapter Two expounds how the Changs have been assimilated completely by the American culture with their Chinese cultural identity discarded. The Changs have been assimilated gradually by the materialism and individualism of American culture, which results in the Americanization in their values and behavior. Besides, in their pursuit of American Dream they have completely abandoned the Chinese traditional values.Chapter Three discusses their rebuilding of the cultural identity after the failure due to the complete Americanization. After the disillusionment of American Dream the Changs introspect in desperation and confusion. Gradually they understand the essence of "typical American"; they have learned how to deal with the Chinese and American cultures as diasporas; and they have succeeded in rebuilding their cultural identity.Conclusion summarizes the whole thesis. It makes the conclusion in the issues of building Chinese immigrants’cultural identity and dealing with the cultural conflict. Eventually the gist of this thesis is presented:to be a "typical American" is to have double cultural identities and to blend the best of Chinese and American cultures, that is, "to select the essence of American culture and discard the dross of the Chinese culture".更多还原