"From This Land We Are Made" : Christianity, nationhood, and the negotiation of identity in Singapore women's literature

Abstract

This paper will argue that Singaporea??s national identity is constructed around a vulnerable female space which is molded, protected, and surrounded by a masculinized authority. Similar to the composite configuration of Singaporea??s national identity, Christianity contains within its patriarchal framework a feminized place that is integral to the stability of the religiona??s identity. From examining this setup, we can see that the Singapore government and Christianity are both modernizing forces with a gender imbalance. Where do women writers stand within this convergence? Through a survey of Singapore womena??s writing, this paper explores the ways that women a??write back.a?? The novel becomes a site of cultural territorialization, as linguistic, racial, class, and religious hierarchies come into play. Within the novel, a very small space of freedom, they depict and negotiate with the patriarchal institutions that penetrate and invade their identities. Ultimately, women writers reclaim the divine power of creation.