Reclaiming Identity Through Narrative: An Analysis of Li Genquan’s the Age of Suffering

Abstract

This article examines the first immigration narrative of the 1980s within the Chaoxianzu (朝鮮族) community in China, focusing on Li Genquan (李根全)’s seminal work, The Age of Suffering (苦難的年代). The study illuminates how Li employs a ‘root-seeking’ approach to address critical questions about the Chaoxianzu identity, history, and existence. This article posits that Li’s socialist realist narrative goes beyond simply narrating historical events and delves into the broader spiritual and cultural problems the Chaoxianzu faced. The ‘root-seeking’ process promoted ethnic self-awareness and subject consciousness. By addressing issues of dual identity as a party member and a writer, the immigration genesis, and the historical implications of choices made by the Chaoxianzu, Li’s work offers insights into the identity crisis faced by this community in modern China. The article establishes the significance of The Age of Suffering as a literary response to complex socio-cultural questions, advocating its essential role in shaping contemporary Chaoxianzu identity.