The Trajectory of Chineseness in English Novels Written by Chinese Singaporeans in 1990s

Abstract

As a critical period of transition and transformation, the ten years in the 1990s had witnessed both the improvement of Sino-Singapore relationship and the rise of Singapore economy. However, the satisfaction of material propelled Chinese Singaporeans to pursue spiritual sustenance by discovering their ethnic and cultural root, which can be reckoned as “Chineseness”. With regard to the mixed nature of Chinese Singaporean reared in Western mode, this thesis intends to analyze the “Chineseness” of Chinese Singaporeans as a whole through a few English novels written by Chinese Singaporeans in the 1990s. The “Chineseness” which used to face desperationwas gaining momentum by virtue of the pride cause by the rise of China and the increasing communication between the two countries. In the meanwhile, the open-mindedness of new generation also help accustomed their Chinese Singaporeans’ Chineseness to the country they lived and thrived. Besides, this thesis would discuss the value of English novels created by Chinese Singaporeans as a tool for historical and cultural research on overseas Chinese.