The Chickencoop Chinaman: Analysis of Setting
"The Chickencoop Chinaman" presents a nuanced exploration of setting that reflects the protagonist's complex relationship with various locations, particularly as they relate to identity and cultural perception. The play is predominantly set in an African American district of Pittsburgh, where the character Kenji has an apartment that serves as a primary backdrop for much of the narrative. Additionally, the inclusion of Chinatown—a representation of an unspecified American city's Chinese district—highlights the protagonist Tam's critical viewpoint of these neighborhoods. He perceives Chinatowns not as vibrant cultural enclaves but rather as products of racism and societal neglect, describing them in derogatory terms that evoke feelings of confinement and degradation.
The setting extends to Hong Kong, depicted through Tam's interactions with his "Hong Kong Dream Girl," which adds another layer to his character and aspirations. This juxtaposition of locations emphasizes themes of cultural dislocation and the search for identity amid contrasting environments. The portrayal of these settings invites discussions about the impacts of societal structures on individual experiences, making it relevant for those interested in cultural studies and social commentary. Overall, "The Chickencoop Chinaman" uses its settings to provoke thought on the intersections of race, culture, and personal identity within the American landscape.
The Chickencoop Chinaman: Analysis of Setting
First published: 1981, with The Year of the Dragon
First produced: 1972, at the American Place Theatre, New York City
Type of work: Drama
Type of plot: Comedy
Time of work: Late 1960’s
Asterisk denotes entries on real places.
Places Discussed
*Oakland
*Oakland. Principally African American district of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where the protagonist’s friend Kenji has an apartment, in which most of the play is set.
Chinatown
Chinatown. Chinese district of an unspecified American city. Tam Lum comes from California, so he may be from San Francisco or Oakland’s Chinatown districts. The “chickencoop” in the title refers to Chin’s perception of American Chinatowns as zoos or dirty, noisy, foul-smelling places occupied by people who speak an unintelligible language. In many of his works, Chin depicts the Chinese of Chinatown as insects or frogs. He does not regard Chinatown as an ethnic enclave where the Chinese congregated to preserve their culture. Instead, he sees it as a product of American racism, of discriminatory housing laws.
*Hong Kong
*Hong Kong. Chinese port city that was a prosperous British colony at the time this play was written. The play opens with Tam conversing with his “Hong Kong Dream Girl,” who appears on stage, a beautiful Asian in a drill-team uniform. Tam’s conversation with her during his flight to Pittsburgh constitutes the first scene of the play.
Suggested Readings
Chin, Frank, et al. Aiiieeee! An Anthology of Asian American Writers. New York: Mentor, 1991. Contains Act I of The Chickencoop Chinaman and some biographical information.
Chin, Frank. “Confessions of the Chinatown Cowboy,” in Bulletin of Concerned Asian Scholars. IV (Fall, 1972), pp. 58-65.
Chin, Frank. Interview by Roland Winters, in Amerasia Journal. II (Fall, 1973), pp. 1-19.
Chen, Jack. The Chinese of America. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1980.
Davis, Robert Murray. “Frank Chin: Iconoclastic Icon.” Redneck Review of Literature 23 (Fall, 1992): 75-78. A brief analysis of many of Chin’s works, including The Chickencoop Chinaman.
Kim, Elaine H. Asian American Literature: An Introduction to the Writings and Their Social Context. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1982. Contains a synopsis and an evaluation of many of Chin’s works, including The Chickencoop Chinaman.
Kim, Elaine H. “Frank Chin: The Chinatown Cowboy and His Backtalk,” in Midwest Quarterly. XX (Autumn, 1978), pp. 78-91.
Li, David Leiwei. “The Formation of Frank Chin and Formations of Chinese-American Literature.” In Asian Americans: Comparative and Global Perspectives. Edited by Shirley Hune et al. Pullman: Washington State University Press, 1991. Explains Chin’s reordering of Chinese American history and his application of that history to The Chickencoop Chinaman. Evaluates Chin’s impact on Asian American literature.
McDonald, Dorothy Ritsuko. “An Introduction to Frank Chin’s The Chickencoop Chinaman and The Year of the Dragon.” In Three American Literatures: Essays in Chicano, Native American, and Asian-American Literature for Teachers of American Literature. Edited by Houston A. Baker. New York: Modern Language Association of America, 1982. Probably the best critical analysis of The Chickencoop Chinaman and The Year of the Dragon (1974).
Samarth, Manini. “Affirmations: Speaking the Self into Being.” Parnassus: Poetry in Review 17, no. 1 (1992): 88-101.