Inner and Outer Resistance to China: The Pursuit of Freedom in A Free Life and The Dark Road

Ha Jin and Ma Jian are two amongst the most representative authors of the so-called Chinese 'diaspora literature,' whose dissident attitude towards the Mainland resulted in them living in exile. The two authors' opposition to the Motherland took different shapes, which are not only displayed through overt criticism, but also translate into an interiorised conflict. This study aims to reveal how the issue of resistance to the Motherland concretises itself in the authors' artistic choices. It will also illustrate how it is represented in their literary creations by comparing their novels A Free Life, by Ha Jin, and The Dark Road, by Ma Jian. Moving from Foucault's reflections on power and resistance, this essay first analyses how Ha Jin and Ma Jian embody two ways of resisting China. It then compares the authors' fictional representations of resistance to one's Motherland, revealing the multiplicity of levels at which power can shape the individual's identity.