Chinese is one of the ethnics that live in America. Many Chinese and their generations of them have stayed for centuries in America. According to America
census, some 2.4 million Chinese-Americans live in America. Chinese immigrants in America began with the arrival of thousands of Chinese miners in California
following the discovery of gold in 1848. Many Chinese-Americans lived in the ethnic community known as
Chinatown. Some business and traditions can be found in that place. The largest Chinatowns were in San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, and Honolulu.
Chinese- Americas have contributed to America culture in many different aspects. Chinese martial arts, such as Gongfu and Taijiquan have become familiar
to many Americans. Acupunture, the Chinese healing arts, is increasingly gaining acceptance by mainstream Western medicine. Many Chinese-Americans are
Christians, but they still preserve their beliefs as traditions. They also celebrate the Chinese New Year Celebration in many cities with the roar of blazing firecrakers,
lion dance, and traditional music Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia 2004.
2.5. Theoretical Framework
Theories are the basis for analyzing the novel. Based on the theories that have been explained in preceding section, the researcher would like to draw up the
application of the theories in this theoretical framework. Basically, there are two research questions will be discussed in this study
with different approach for each question. Since the first research question related to sociocultural-historical aspect, the approach which are used to analyze the
question is the Sociocultural-Historical Approach. On the other hand, since the 25
second research question related to the psychology aspect, the researcher used the Psychological Approach to discuss it.
After deciding the approach, the approach is used as a base to choose the theories based on the approaches. The first question is related with the way how
Winnie Louie as a Chinese-American preserves Chinese Beliefs. The researcher uses the portrait of Chinese-American life in America and the Chinese Beliefs
principles which are obeyed by Chinese-American. Based on the portrait of Chinese-American and their Chinese Beliefs, the researcher uses it as a reference
and base to analyze the problems in the novel. Having finished in analyzing the first research question, the researcher
goes to discuss the second research question. The researcher wants to get the answer what motivates Winnie Louie as a Chinese American to preserve Chinese
Beliefs. Since the second research questions are related to the human motivation, the researcher applies the psychological approach. The psychological approach
used in the literary work will sharpen the analysis in correlation between literature and psychology aspects. The researcher applies Welleck’s theory in the relation
between literature and psychology. Theory of motivation proposed by Maslow is highly used to discuss and
analyze the second research question related to Winnie Louie’s motivation to preserve the Chinese-Culture in United States. Based on the theory of motivation,
there are seventh stages of needs. Needs are the reason which motivates someone to do something. When someone has achieved the basic needs, he or she will go to
the higher needs’ stage. Self-actualization is the highest stage that motivates 26
