Mapping transnationality and flexible citizenship in Ha Jin’s The Boat Rocker

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis paper addresses the issues of identity crises caused by transcultural exchange, the political unconscious of the rise of China, and the cultural politics of transnationality in Ha Jin’s The Boat Rocker. The Boat Rocker is a novel which reveals the betrayal, displacement, and conspiracy lurking behind such concepts as national loyalty, trust in traditional values, and identification with one’s roots. The Boat Rocker is also a timely reflection of the momentous election year of 2016 in which it was written, addressing fears of foreign-sponsored sedition, propaganda and the manipulation of media, the malleability of public opinion, the unholy alliance between the U.S. and Chinese state governance, and the post 9/11 political environment which led the U.S. to that point. The novel takes the form of a self-reflexive dialogue in which China sees itself reflected in America and America in China. In the process of exchanging languages and culture, the Chinese characters adapt to the American way of life, producing a unique form of Americanness with special Chinese characteristics.