The social construction of the characters’ identities in the trilogy by David Henry Hwang: an intersectional approach

Abstract

Considering writing literature as a cultural practice, the texts about and by the representatives of ethnic minorities serve as an interesting field of research. This thesis analyzes the social construction of identities in the trilogy of plays FOB, The Dance and the Railroad, and Family Devotions by an American Chinese playwright David Henry Hwang. The primary focus is to explore how different social categories, including race, ethnicity, gender, class, sexuality, generation, and language constitute the formation of the characters’ identities on stage. The intersectional approach used in this thesis provides a complex discussion of these categories.