As Jade Snow is described as the model of ethnicity and a successful daughter, it is profoundly significant to analyze the implied growth theme in Fifth Chinese Daughter to understand the growth process and historical background of early native Chinese Americans。 The thesis is mainly composed of 3 sections。 The first one will give a brief introduction to Chinese-American literature and the autobiography of Fifth Chinese Daughter。 Then, section two will more emphasize on the barriers and bewilderment she meets and struggles and efforts she makes in her growth to achieve the success, which is somehow resulted from the intercultural environment consisted of different cultures and customs。 Finally, the last section will pay special attention to what achievements Jade Snow Wong has gained in an intercultural environment。 In this way, readers are able to have a closer look at the initiation of American Chinese immigrants so as to avoid the confusions and conflicts in a different culture, and meanwhile achieve success like a native in this culture。

2。 Literature Review

Since Fifth Chinese Daughter was published in 1945, it has caused a sensation in literature world and critics world by relating the harsh, wandering, agonizing but struggling growth process and psychological development of the marginalized American Chinese immigrants in the cultural crevice, especially the female immigrants, to the worldwide readers with the profound theme, special national features and the vivid description of the protagonist from the writer’s personal experience。 A number of researchers have analyzed the growth theme in Fifth Chinese Daughter。 Chen Hongxia considers it as a typical growth novel, so she explains and demonstrates Jade Snow Wong’s growth experiences from the perspective of insight in growth, initiation guides and initiation ceremony (Chen, Wang and Wang 11)。 Also, Yang Yali sees eye to eye with Chen, and her paper mainly explores the protagonists’ life experiences and mental journey through some related initiation story theory (Yang and Xie 85)。 In addition to those researches on growth experiences, Zhao Guanli highlights the understanding of Jade Snow Wong’s bewilderment and painful struggle from the self-negation to self-awareness, which is a certain process in a person’s growth as a marginalized minority (Zhao 78)。 For the writer, growth theme is totally worth of being discussed for Fifth Chinese Daughter is a representative of the American Bildungsroman。 However, what makes her growth different is that Jade Snow Wong lives in an intercultural environment where she meets the barriers and difficulties in her daily life。 Thus, before analyzing her successful growth related to the intercultural environment, Jade Snow Wong’s autobiography, the definition of Chinese American Literature and Initiation story are introduced in this section。 来*自~优|尔^论:文+网www.youerw.com +QQ752018766*

2。1Jade Snow Wong and Fifth Chinese Daughter

Wong was born and raised in San Francisco; she was the fifth daughter of an immigrant family which grew to have nine children。 She grew up with the traditional beliefs and customs of Chinese culture which was poured into her mind by her parents and her elders。 Having a faith in Chinese traditional beliefs, her father forbade her to have engagements and refused to pay for her college education。 Her father’s decision reinforced her determination to get higher education, so she made much effort and first attended San Francisco Junior College, and later Mills College, where she majored in economics and sociology with the expectation that she could become a social worker in Chinatown。 Wong graduated from Mills College in 1942 with a hard-won Phi Beta Kappa key。 She worked as a secretary in the shipyard during World War II; she had discovered a flair for ceramics in a summer course at Mills and she entered a Ceramics Guild which was organized by the college to provide opportunities for alumni and alumnae to study。 When she began to sell her handiwork of potteries in a shop in Chinatown, it quickly found popularity。 Wong got married with artist Woodrow Ong in 1950; they paired together in their art and later managed a travel agency together。 Throughout her lifetime, Wong worked with many organizations such as the San Francisco Public Library, the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, the Chinese Cultural Center, the Chinese Historical Society of America, and Mills College。 Wong was recognized and awarded by Mills College with an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Arts in 1976。 Wong died on March 16, 2006 at the age of 84 of cancer; she was survived by two daughters, two sons, and four grandchildren。