The following seminar paper is concerned with the presentation of a hybrid identity in Fred Wah´s Diamond Grill and the cultural significance of food. In the beginning, the most important stages of the author´s life shall help to embed the story in its historical and socio-cultural context. After a detailed discussion on the symbolic meaning of food, with various examples providing insight into the many functions that food takes in daily life and human existence, as well as its crucial role in the context of communities, the paper will shift its focus to the text itself. The term „biotext“ and its emergence will be discussed and information on identity, ethnicity, other important themes and issues in the text and the language employed by Wah will be given. The last part of this paper constitutes its centrepiece, in which food as a metaphor and its cultural significance as a multilayered strategy and trope in postcolonial life writing will be discussed. The culinary language employed in Wah´s innovative discourse of Diamond Grill makes the concept of food a metonymy of the elaboration of identity and culture. The use of food as a metaphor in the author´s culinary memoirs will be discussed, and the way in which the metaphor of food provides an axis for the understanding of Wah´s explorations of his socio-cultural background will be explained in more detail.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Biography
- On the symbolic meaning of food
- Fred Wah's „Diamond Grill“
- What is a „biotext\"?
- Introduction and „plot“
- Identity, ethnicity and other important themes
- Representation of the café
- Language
- Food as a metaphor in Diamond Grill
- Conclusion
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This seminar paper explores the presentation of a hybrid identity in Fred Wah's "Diamond Grill" and examines the cultural significance of food. The paper begins by providing biographical context for the work, exploring the author's life and how his experiences shaped his writing. The paper then delves into the symbolic meaning of food, exploring its diverse functions in daily life and its importance within communities. The main focus of the paper lies on analyzing "Diamond Grill" itself. The paper examines the text's themes of identity, ethnicity, and the representation of food as a central metaphor. The paper aims to understand how Wah uses the culinary language of "Diamond Grill" to explore the complex concept of identity and culture.
- Hybrid Identity in Fred Wah's "Diamond Grill"
- The Cultural Significance of Food
- The Concept of "Biotext" and its Application to "Diamond Grill"
- Identity and Ethnicity as Key Themes in the Text
- The Role of Food as a Metaphor for Culture and Identity
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- Introduction: This chapter introduces the topic of the paper, focusing on Fred Wah's "Diamond Grill" and the significance of food in presenting a hybrid identity. The chapter outlines the paper's structure and the key themes that will be explored.
- Biography: This chapter provides biographical information on Fred Wah, highlighting his life and career. It emphasizes his contributions to Canadian literature and his exploration of identity and racialized poetics.
- On the Symbolic Meaning of Food: This chapter discusses the various functions of food in daily life and its essential role in social well-being and community building. It also explores the relationship between food and social class, drawing on the work of Pierre Bourdieu.
- Fred Wah's „Diamond Grill“: This chapter delves into the analysis of "Diamond Grill" itself. It introduces the concept of "biotext" and explores the text's themes of identity, ethnicity, and the representation of the café. This chapter also examines the language employed by Wah and the use of food as a metaphor.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The key terms and concepts explored in this paper include: hybrid identity, Fred Wah's "Diamond Grill", biotext, food as a cultural marker, ethnicity, Canadian literature, postcolonial life writing, culinary language, and the representation of culture and identity.
- Quote paper
- Bachelor Katharina Eder (Author), 2010, The presentation of a hybrid identity in Fred Wah´s "Diamond Grill": Food and habitation as ethnic markers and Chinese Canadians, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/171944
