Mapping Contemporary Literature from Hawai'i

This study is the first to situate contemporaryliterature from Hawai'i in a comprehensive frameworkof current theoretical background, comparativesurveys of other relevant literatures, and Hawaii'sliterary history. Its main thesis is thatthe literature resulting from the islands' history,the pervasive outside representation, and the uniquemulticultural setup of the population isfundamentally a Local one, place-bound,ethnicity-aware, expressed in a variety of linguisticchoices. Contemporary literature from Hawai'i is anexploration of Local identity, providing a multitudeof answers to the question "What is a Hawaiian?"Based on a Cultural Studies approach, it employspostcolonialism as a reading and writing strategy.Three other literatures are examined as comparativespaces, namely the Caribbean, the South Pacific, andAsian America. After tracing the development ofliterature in Hawai'i, the study groups contemporarywritings thematically, under the headings "History,""Ethnicity," "Language," and "Place." It shows, thatdespite all variety and dissension, a common, Localway of writing has evolved.

Autorentext

Ph.D. Claudia Rapp: MA in German, English and American literature. Stints as bookseller, English teacher, sales rep. Currently literature lecturer at the University of Constance, Germany, where she has become rather rooted, despite ever longing to return to Hawai''i...

Klappentext
This study is the first to situate contemporary literature from Hawai'i in a comprehensive framework of current theoretical background, comparative surveys of other relevant literatures, and Hawaii's literary history. Its main thesis is that the literature resulting from the islands' history, the pervasive outside representation, and the unique multicultural setup of the population is fundamentally a Local one, place-bound, ethnicity-aware, expressed in a variety of linguistic choices. Contemporary literature from Hawai'i is an exploration of Local identity, providing a multitude of answers to the question "What is a Hawaiian?" Based on a Cultural Studies approach, it employs postcolonialism as a reading and writing strategy. Three other literatures are examined as comparative spaces, namely the Caribbean, the South Pacific, and Asian America. After tracing the development of literature in Hawai'i, the study groups contemporary writings thematically, under the headings "History," "Ethnicity," "Language," and "Place." It shows, that despite all variety and dissension, a common, Local way of writing has evolved.