关键词: 华裔女性文学; 食物叙事; 性别政治; 主体意识

Abstract: In Chinese American literature, particularly in the works of female Chinese American writers, “food” has repeatedly appeared as important images, containing profound gender political connotations. With the help of gender politics theories, this article has explored relationships between gender politics and those heroines’ various eating preferences and food choices in female Chinese American literary works of different phases: for lack of gender and racial awareness, some heroines are satisfied with the traditionally stereotyped image to become model ethnic groups; in a split of cultural identification, some heroines are bold enough to present fierce protest and criticism against traditional gender relationships; surpassing the narrow sense of gender and ethnic awareness, some heroines are more concerned with pursuing sexual pleasure. To deconstruct gender and racial oppressions, female Chinese American writers have actually adopted literary creation as a political strategy to demonstrate their long-term struggle and resistance through food narration. Therefore the meaning of this article lies in the fact that it reveals how female Chinese American writers, based on their unique life experiences, integrate political appeals into large numbers of food images. By means of food narration, female Chinese American writers have expressed their voices by portraying a series of heroines who develop their dominant position from subordinate position, thus finally succeeded in constructing female consciousness of subjectivity.

Keywords: Female Chinese American Literature; food narration; gender politics; consciousness of subjectivity