영어영문학 연구 제65권 3호 (2023. 9): 101-124 Diasporic Selves in between the National and the Transnational: A Study on Ha Jin’s Emergence and Growth as a Diasporic Writer * 4) Lee, Yoo-Hyeok (Pusan National University) I. Introduction: Characterizing Jin’s Literary Trajectory as a Diasporic Writer This paper examines Ha Jin’s literary trajectory as a diasporic writer under the theme of literary transnationalism. Diaspora and transnationalism are closely related and it has become more so due to the rise and intensification of globalization. The reason I relate Jin’s diasporic trajectory to literary transnationalism is because such characterization of his life as a writer in the United States enables us to understand a pivotal moment in his literary pursuit, i.e. his trajectory from a Chinese writer to a Chinese American writer. In an interview on his novel A Free Life (2007), Jin explicitly acknowledges his hyphenated identity as a Chinese American writer (Franklin). This becomes a clear indication toward literary transnationalism in his literary pursuit. 1) * This work was supported by a Junior Faculty Support Program of Pusan National University. 1) ‘Diaspora’ broadly signifies people’s scattering across regions not only https://dx.doi.org/10.18853/jjell.2023.65.3.005