Bakhtinian Dialogue, Polyphony and the Trickster Countertype

Abstract

This article explores the concepts of dialogue, polyphony, and the carnival, while providing an in-depth analysis of the ‘trickster countertype’1 (based on the Chinese mythological figure of the Monkey King) as a concept and a character in Gish Jen’s novel, within the context of creating a community without borders. It arrives at the conclusion that Gish Jen’s novel has clear examples of polyphony and Mona in the novel is a unique exemplar of a trickster countertype.