Metaphors of Illness in Chinese North American Literature : The Body Speaks

An analysis of metaphors of illness in Chinese North American literature as an articulation of trauma, cultural identity and resistance in the diaspora.

By exploring various representations of illness and disability in Chinese American literature, Fang Tang argues that narratives of ailments transcend the boundaries of medical therapy to become essential metaphors that help reconstruct identity formations for Chinese Americans. Moving beyond medical interpretations, Tang demonstrates how conditions such as madness, infertility, amnesia, anorexia, insomnia, leprosy, and epidemic disease serve as symbolic expressions of displacement, marginalization, and resilience in the Chinese North American experience. With a focus on key works published between 1970 and 2020 by writers including Maxine Hong Kingston, Amy Tan, Yan Geling, Ma Ling, Zhang Ling, and others, this book uncovers how illness metaphors illuminate the intersections of race, gender, and culture in diasporic life. By weaving literary analysis with insights from cultural studies, trauma theory, and postcolonial thought, Metaphors of Illness and Disability in Chinese American Literature argues that illness metaphors provide unique access to the struggles and strategies of Chinese North American communities.