摘要

本文分析了谭恩美在《喜福会》这本小说所呈现的中国文化，解释它带有浓厚东方主义的原因。四位母亲在旧中国的成长经历与四位女儿在美国的成长经历在《喜福会》中形成了鲜明的对比，使人深刻体会到东西方文化的差异。本文从四位母亲在旧中国的经历分析作品所折射的中国的传统文化，习俗和封建思想，指出了谭恩美在《喜福会》中的描写一定程度上扭曲了中国传统文化。为了迎合西方人的价值观，谭恩美的这部小说带有浓重的东方主义。最后，本文阐释了《喜福会》带有浓厚东方主义的原因。

关键词：东方主义；谭恩美；中国传统文化

Abstract

This study attempts to analyze the elements embodied in Amy Tan’s The Joy Luck Club, explaining why it has dense Orientalism characteristics. In the novel, there is a distinct comparison between the life experience of four mothers and four daughters’, making people feel the cultural differences between the Orient and the Occident deeply. The study attempts to analyze the descriptions reflected in The Joy Luck Club about various customs, feudal thoughts and traditional culture of Old China according to four mothers experiences, pointing out Tan warping the Chinese traditional culture. In order to meet the western reader’s taste, Tan’s The Joy Luck Club has dense Orientalism characteristics. At last, it will explain the reasons that Tan’s work contains strong Orientalism.

Key Words: Orientalism; Amy Tan; Chinese traditional culture

1    Introduction
Amy Tan, as a Chinese American writer, who is extremely eminent in contemporary American literary world, has drawn much attention from mainstream critics all over the world. Moreover, as a Chinese American, she made an achievement in Chinese American literature.
Her first novel, The Joy Luck Club, was published in 1989 and stayed on New York Times bestseller list for nine months and won several prestigious literary awards. The book has even been translated into 35 languages. In 1993, The Joy Luck Club was adapted into a commercially successful film directed by Wayne Wang. And the novel was also adapted into a play which premiered at Pan Asian Repertory Theatre in New York.
The Joy Luck Club contains four parts. The novel mainly talked about the relationship and conflicts between four mothers immigrated from China and their American - born daughters. It started a club known as "the Joy Luck Club," which meant that the four mothers played the Chinese traditional game of mahjong for money when feasting on all kinds of foods.