Writing in the Third Space: Pearl S. Buck’s intercultural translation in Pavilion of Women

Abstract

ABSTRACT Pearl S. Buck’s 1946 novel Pavilion of Women portrays a diverse range of Chinese women’s personalities and lives. This article examines Buck’s intercultural translation practice in terms of what Homi Bhabha calls “the Third Space”. A comparison of the text with contemporaneous works reveals that Buck’s representation of Chinese women constitutes a departure from the conventional “harem” and “Madame Butterfly” tropes then prevalent in western representations of Asian women. Situating the text in a sociopolitical context, the article also argues that Buck’s intercultural translation blurs the dichotomy between self and other. This is achieved through her keen observation of Chinese women’s lives and changes, accurate presentation of the manners of the Chinese characters, appreciative understanding of Chinese culture and, most importantly, through the prominence she gives to Sino-western cultural interactions. Nevertheless, Pavilion of Women disempowers China by representing the west as the omnipotent saviour of Chinese society from its backwardness.