Scientific imaginary in Asian American familial narration : a comparative reading on Charles Yu’s how to live safely in a science fictional universe : a novel, and Ling Ma’s severance

Abstract

Scientific fiction takes a significant role of Asian American literature as it deconstructs the conventional writing and provide an innovative window for readers to reaquaint Asian American from different perspectives. This dissertation aims at observing how Asian American’s familial narration is conveyed through scientific imaginary, specifically the matter of time in both novels: Charles Yu’s How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe: A Novel, and Ling Ma’s Severance. Familial narration includes individual identity recognition and generational connection. In both novels, identity crisis is depicted through the sense of homelessness. The first-generational immigrants have geographical houses as their home in Asian where they are not able to return back, whereas the second-generational immigrants are born without home spiritually as outsiders, and geographically due to the scientific elements such as pandemic. Therefore, how to deal with the inner trauma and reconnect with one and another is a main discussion in both novels. Beyond that, both novels implies the influence of the late capitalism from political and cultural perspectives towards Asian American community. As the ideology pictures the utopian American dream towards the ethnic minority, Asian Americans are regulated as modeled group which is deconstructed by the matter of time in both novels. By emphasizing the trivial daily life, diverse cultures of Asian American voices out and break through the stereotypical recognition from family, race and gender perspectives.