A Paradise Lost - KOPS - Universität Konstanz

Abstract
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. From a German or even a European perspective, it is
the first Ph. D. dissertation to deal with Hawaii’s literary production at all. 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?”
After an introductory chapter that presents the issues and problems that this study deals
with, the second chapter surveys the theoretical concepts that are utilized in the analysis of the
literature under scrutiny. Based on a Cultural Studies approach, it employs postcolonialism as
a reading and writing strategy, and negotiates the usefulness of postcolonial discourses on
hybridity, migration, and regionalism in a postcolonial context. Postmodernism is briefly
examined with respect to convergence with and differences to postcolonialism. Next, three
other bodies of literature are portrayed as comparative spaces, namely the Caribbean, the
South Pacific, and Asian America. The fourth chapter delineates the traditions and trailblazers
that Hawaii’s contemporary writers draw on and engage with. The local university system, the
‘canon’ of visitor literature, the indigenous cultural revival, and the Asian-dominated
development of avenues for literary production and distribution are portrayed in detail. The
bulk of this study then groups contemporary writings thematically, under the headings
“History,” “Ethnicity,” “Language,” and “Place.” The presentations and analyses of texts
comprise the fifth chapter. The resulting conclusion is offered in the sixth chapter, arguing
that despite all variety and dissension, a common, Local way of writing has evolved. A brief
outlook chapter points out possible directions for further investigation.
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