A River of ‘Han’: Eastern Tragedy in a Western Land
A Study of Korean American Literature
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1. Edition, 2015
397 Pages
ISBN: 978-3-8253-7519-5
Product: Ebook
Edition: PDF
Subject: Anglistik/Amerikanistik
Series: American Studies – A Monograph Series, Volume No.: 259
Available: 20.05.2015
Keywords:
Postkolonialismus, autobiographisches Schreiben, life writing, Lee, Chang-rae, koreanisch-amerikanische Literatur, Traumatheorie, Kim, Richard E., Cha, Theresa Hak Kyung, Fenkl, Heinz Insu, Asian Studies, amerikanische Literatur
Is there a non-Western form of tragedy? This volume argues that the Korean concept of han should be considered an Eastern tragic vision which is gaining prominence in the West through the critically acclaimed works of diasporic writers such as Nobel Prize-nominee Richard E. Kim, Theresa Hak Kyung Cha, and Chang-rae Lee. Through close readings of the works of leading Korean American authors, the book explicates the philosophical, historical, and postcolonial roots of ‘han’ and its distinctive aesthetics in contrast to classical Western tragedy. It then examines how specific authors deploy this concept to portray the cultural conditions of Asian Americans and offers powerful insights into the interplay of cultural memory and aesthetics. Finally, the tragic vision offers a counterpoint to many of the optimistic visions of social change that underpin contemporary theories of ethnic or postcolonial fiction and offers a critical perspective on foundational theoretical assumptions.
