Asian American studies essay

1) In Orientalism, the literary critic Edward Said argues that the tradition of Orientalism is based on an “ontological and epistemological” distinction made between the East and the West. Moreover, Said argues, these cultural differences have been used to justify political actions and are the basis for the power play between East and West. How do these two aspects of Orientalism work themselves into David Henry Hwang’s M Butterfly? How does Hwang overturn Orientalist assumptions in his play?

2) Whereas Frank Chin searches for an Asian American identity through the language of authenticity and masculinity, Maxine Hong Kingston and David Henry Hwang question these ideals. In so doing, how do these two later writers challenge Chin’s definition of what it means to be Asian American? In other words, how do Kingston and Hwang challenge notions of authenticity and masculinity? Your essay should concentrate on Kingston’s The Woman Warrior and Hwang’s M. Butterfly.