“What do my emotions matter if mother is sad?”

Filial Piety and Heteronormative Obligations in "Beijing Story"

Abstract

 A classic among queer works of literature written in Chinese, Beijing Story (original Chinese title: Beijing Gushi 北京故事) was one of the first Sinophone novels to openly portray homosexual relationships in modern time. The publication of the first English translation of Beijing Story in 2016 made the novel available to a worldwide audience. This paper sheds some light on the relationship between filial piety and heteronormativity that is portrayed in the novel – a relationship that often makes queer experiences in East Asian Sinophone spheres seemingly different from their Euro-American counterparts. The analysis presented in this paper is based on a close reading of Beijing Story. In my analysis, I use concepts from queer theory and Confucian philosophy to examine the main character’s approach to the relationships in his life. I argue that while the main character’s attitude towards his own non-heterosexuality goes from complete rejection to relative self-acceptance over the course of the novel, his major life choices are ultimately determined based on perceived social obligations related to heteronormativity and filial piety.