Connotation and Value: The Images of China through the Works of Chinese-American Writer Maxine Hong Kingston in a Cross-Cultural Context

Abstract

The Woman Warrior, China Men and Tripmaster Monkey, three representative works written by contemporary Chinese-American writer Maxine Hong Kingston, are compatible with the historical tradition, value and spiritual pursuit of different culture of China and the United States. These masterpieces have established the author’s status in the American literary world. The author looks at traditional Chinese culture from the perspective of American culture, and at the same time deeply reflects on the conflict and integration of Chinese and American cultures in the Chinese community, and runs her perception and imagination of the two culture through her works. The works portray rich images of China, including the patriarchal society, the magical and spectral society, fictional “utopia” society, which show the survival situation of Chinese-American people, and then trigger the reflection on the construction of images of China in Chinese-American literature.