| Abstract |
Luo Yi-jun’s novel, West Xia Hotel, demonstrates a distinctive style of extravagance andeloquence. In this text, his rich imagination creates many stories that can be treated either asindividual stories on their own or as interconnected narratives referring to each other. Similarthemes are repeated in his works, including diaspora, genocide, abandonment, harm, death,rape, incest, and pornography.Previous studies of Luo Yi-jun focus on his identity as a second generation mainlanderwho is highly anxious about his ethnic and national identity. More recent researchers tend togo beyond the study of contents and themes, and instead emphasize the importance of Luo’sartistic form and style. This paper argues that Luo Yi-jun not only feels anxious about hisethnic identity but also reveals male-centered ideology in his writings. He deploys theso-called “extravagant obscenity” to represent female objects as the projection of male fantasy.By doing so he is able to deal with anxious male subjectivity. Male Mainlanders who regardthemselves as being discriminated can therefore reinforce their subject position and speakingposition by demeaning women through the fantasy of rape and pornography.With the perspective of misogyny, this paper analyzes how this novel uses therepresentation of rape and pornography to demean the status of women, while the author/theprotagonist is also paradoxically eager for the recognition and acceptance by women. Genderrelation can be taken as political relation of power and domination. Luo Yi-jun beguilesreaders by treating rape, incest, and obscenity forbidden in reality as pure fiction and art. Thispaper will conclude with remarks about how ethnic identity and the art of writing can bedeployed to conceal male-centric gender relation. |
