Negotiating Identity through Dual Spatial Narratives: The Construction of the Third Space in Sinophone Indonesian Fiction Beyond Qizhou Ocean

Abstract

Lefebvre’s theory of the production of space and Homi K. Bhabha’s concept of the Third Space provide an analytical framework for interpreting the dual spatial narratives of homelandand hostland and the attendant identity politics in overseas Chinese diasporic fiction. The Indonesian Chinese novel Beyond Qizhou Ocean employs Tangshan and Hebu as its core spatial images, revealing the intrinsic connection between spatial production and identity negotiation. This paper argues that, Tangshanfunctions as a spiritual homeland, bearing the cultural memory and identity origins of the migrant subjects; Hebu, by contrast, is a real-world arena for diasporic identity construction, interwoven with colonial oppression, survival opportunities, and modern challenges. The novel’s portrayal of identity suspension arises precisely from the tension between these two spaces. Transcending the tragic narrative of migrant identity anxiety rooted in binary spatial opposition, the novel meticulously depicts how the Indonesian Chinese community exercises agency through linguistic hybridity, educational practices, and social networks. It thereby reveals their active identity negotiation within a Third Space, offering a vivid case study for understanding the interplay between spatial narrative and identity construction in Chinese diasporic literature. By foregrounding the entanglement of the Third Spacewith power structures, this study aims to provide a more critical and dialectical perspective on diasporic identity in the age of globalization.