Cirrus@Austlit

'Based on an examination of cultural diversity and its performances, the book attempts to link the perspective of multiculturalism to the development of Australian history, society and culture, particularly focusing on colonial influence, to interpret some renowned works of a number of contemporary Australian representative writers and understand the unbreakable, unkempt and closely- tied relations between Australian fiction and cultural diversity. Hence we can become deeply aware of the essential significance of multiculturalism as a way to look into the increasing influence of cultural diversity on literary production on one hand and on the other, we could offer a further understanding of a variety of changes arising out of artistic forms of Australian migrant fiction thanks to the involvement of cultural diversity as well as many styles and features concerned.

'The theoretical base of multiculturalism as a kind of social culture could be explained in general from three aspects, namely J.Habermas’s idea of constitutional democracy, Charles Taylor’s concept of politics of recognition and the theory of postmodernism, among which the former two are particularly worthwhile to be mentioned.This is because constitutional democracy idea and politics of recognition concept have granted multiculturalism political justification.

'Just as colonialism supplied the possibility for the birth of modern Australian society, colonialism has also laid a material foundation for shaping cultural diversity in Australia where a variety of diverse cultures came together on account of colonization, for coexistence, collision and interaction before merging eventually into Australian national culture characteristic of diversity. Thus colonialism, once a political monster who has tremendously changed the world map and has gravely damaged many people’s interests and hurt the feelings of the individuals, has now taken up the responsibility as a guide and via the theory of postcolonialism, associated with multiculturalism, works to lead, observe, compare and reflect on various kinds of historical and cultural phenomena and makes its own contribution to the development and research of Australian culture and literature.

'In the midst of large numbers of the novelists with migrant themes or subject matter, I have selected six representatives as the target of discussion, whose works might go beyond into a wider sphere. These migrant novels demonstrate that different backgrounds of ethnical culture are interwoven with their mother cultures which find unrestrictedly their expression in alien countries, freely offering performances and merging with indigenous culture until eventually assimilated and hybridized as part of a unified Australian national culture. This is a process of historical development, which is actually a collective experience of hybridity and interaction full of pains, clashes and reflections before the merging of England-centred mainstream culture, migrant culture and Aboriginal culture.

'The current development of cultural diversity is certainly closely related to migrant culture. But it is obviously inadequate to explain by migrants the issue of cultural diversity. One reason lies in the fact that from a higher point of view, cultural diversity and its theory not only serves as a summary of previous and present life of human beings, but also epitomizes the future direction of human society and culture, more closely relevant to the harmonious world the humanity has ever pursued. If the migrant issue is a temporary social phenomenon arising out of various kinds of differences within human society, cultural diversity and its theory as a system of ideology would provide guiding principles to the solution to all kinds of social and cultural issues, migrant issue included, and would make a blueprint for human future development. In this sense, the use of the perspective of cultural diversity in observing and interpreting migrant culture and fiction could perhaps help result in some new senses and awareness, with more rational and self-conscious ideas, or even with more ideas beyond and prophetic.

'Strictly speaking what this book dwells on is not confined to the touching stories and their themes, but extend to the creative thinking behind them. These ideas of creation involve the writers’ outlook of value and life, including representation of colonialism and cultural diversity as well as other social, historical and cultural elements in the novels, especially large amounts of migrants’ living experiences, thus revealing or stipulating their countless ties with Australian history and culture, which is why we pick up cultural diversity as a holder for and perspective of these works. By means of multiculturalism, we could not only regard Australian national culture as a product of cultural hybridity of English culture and other cultures of minor ethnical groups, but also could interpret diverse experiences of migrant culture and implications represented in these works, so that one could understand better how different ethnical groups have come together in Australia from outside in early colonial period, taking root, budding in the fertile soil, building up mutual communications and removing all barriers until finally the single ethnical groups joined in the big family of Australia as a nation.' (Source: Epilogue)