Alterity and Empathy in Post-1945 Asian American Narratives

This book examines how Asian American authors since 1945 have deployed the stereotype of Asian American inscrutability in order to re-examine and debunk the stereotype in various ways.

By paying special attention to what narrative theorists have regarded as one of the most extraordinary aspects of fiction-its ability to give (or else deny) readers a remarkably detailed knowledge of the inner lives of their characters-this book explores deeply and systematically the specific ways Asian American narratives attribute inscrutable minds to Asian American characters, situating them at various points along a spectrum stretching between alterity and empathy.

Ultimately, the book reveals the link between narrative form and larger cultural issues associated with the representation of Asian American minds, and how a nuanced investigation of narrative form can yield insights into the sociocultural embeddedness of Asian American literature under the case studies-insights that would not be available if such formal questions were by passed.