Dis-orienting Orientalism in contemporary Irish writing: Yan Ge’s Irish short stories

Abstract

This article examines representations of Asia and Asian characters in contemporary Irish writing, drawing on the discourse on Orientalism and other postcolonial theories. Orientalism in Irish studies has undergone multiple phases: from the Celtic-Oriental ties that stressed cross-colonial identification with Eastern countries as a way to bolster nationalist narratives during the Celtic Revival, to the comparison with new and futuristic, late capitalist East Asian “Tiger” societies from the 1990s to the present day. Irish Orientalism thus stands uneasily between traditional Anglo-European Orientalism, which continues to reproduce certain stereotypes of the Other, and anti-imperial agendas that challenge established colonial discourses. While differing from its British counterpart, Irish literature has often been complicit in producing and sustaining Orientalist images, especially in its representations of migrants. By analysing Yan Ge’s short stories set in Ireland, this article offers a rare perspective from the Other side. Yan Ge’s thematic and formal consideration of her status as an Asian outsider aims to dis-orient and re-orient Irish readers. By looking steadily back at the Orientalist gaze, the portrayals of cross-cultural encounters in Yan Ge’s works help to create more fruitful and equitable conversations regarding Ireland’s role in the global order and its changing relationship with Asia.