A Study on the Metaphors of Chinatown in The Concubine’s Children

Abstract

The literary background of Denise Chong's novel The Concubine's Children mainly sets in Chinatowns in Canada, where Chinese immigrants struggled for a living, strived for their dreams, and preserved their "portable root", in second half of the nineteenth century. By narrating the real family stories and representing living conditions of her former generations in Chinatown, Denise Chong expressed her admiration and pride to them, and even stood in awe of them. Chinatown in Canada, once was the enclave for the early Chinese-Canadians who were isolated from the social mainstream, political and cultural life. It is not only a witness of the history of Chinese-Canadians and a spiritual home, but also a muse who gives inspiration to the creation of Canadian-Chinese literature. By analyzing the metaphorical figures of Chinatown--Utopia, transplanted tree, and invisible dome, the essay probes into the implications and significance of Chinatown, its multifaceted images being unveiled. Meanwhile, courage, tolerance and persistence in Chinese immigrants are revealed.