China and the overseas Chinese quest for identity in Hun de zhuisu, a sinophone Malaysian short story

Sinophone Malaysian literature is an important branch of the global Sinophone literary system. Central to the production of many Sinophone Malaysian authors are two interconnected issues: language and identity. To them, language is not simply a natural means of interpersonal communication; it is often imbued with strong connotations linked to the identity of the speaker (which is, in most cases, multiple). Therefore, when specifically dealing with language, Sinophone Malaysian authors are actually also investigating their own identity. Connected to their identity quest is also the image they have of China, which can be a cultural reference, an imagined/dreamt geo-cultural entity or the homeland. In this paper, I analyze Hun de zhuisu, by Malaysian Sinophone author Chen Zhengxin, a short story in which such themes are pivotal issues. I attempt at showing how people can deal with identity in different ways and from different angles, and I also aim at deciphering to what extent the linguistic choices of the main characters shape their vision of who they are. Moreover, I try to demonstrate that the perception the overseas Chinese have of China can be multifaceted, when not directly contradictory. Through the textual analysis, I show how there is more to Chinese identity than the somewhat general idea of Chineseness, just in the same way as there is more to the so-called "Chinese" language than just the standard variety.