Donald Duk Under Fire

Frank Chin, the author of Donald Duk, is a controversial figure among scholars of Asian American literature. In the weeks to come we will discuss his long-standing feud with widely acclaimed writers like Maxine Hong Kingston and Amy Tan. For now, I thought it would be helpful to take a look at one scholar's perspective on the novel you just finished reading and consider some critiques that have been directed toward Chin's work.

Click on this link to read the article, by Susan Richardson (you'll have to click on "continue article" several times, as the essay spans about six pages). Now post a couple of paragraphs in response to one of the following aspects of her argument:

1) Chin's portrayal of women/girls
2) Chin's acquiescence to capitalist heirarchies (simply repositioning Chinese Americans)
3) The idea that readers become distanced from Chin's characters because of his narrative choices

Feel free to agree or disagree with Richardson. You needn't be quite as formal as you would with a critical essay (that will come later), but do try to support your ideas with some specific references to the text and/or the article. Post your entry by this Thursday night (say 10:00), then take a look at what others said over the weekend and post a comment.