Rationalized Discrimination: Analysis of "Our Missing Hearts" Based on Foucault's Discourse Theory

"Our Missing Hearts", Celeste Ng's latest novel, has garnered widespread attention since 2022 release. The novel unfolds in a fictional American society, conceiving the Preserving American Culture and Traditions Act (PACT). This act, which deems anyone with minimal Asian ties a potential threat and mandates removals of children and books, functions as a mechanism for the white authorities to restrict freedom of speech and practice racial discrimination, under the guise of protection and security. From the perspective of Foucault’s discourse theory, this paper analyzes the discursive manipulation strategies employed by the white authorities to rationalize their discrimination against nonwhite groups in the novel. Firstly, it examines three exterior procedures of discursive exclusion on which the white authorities rely to prohibit anti-PACT discourse, reduce it to the invalid madman’s discourse, and make the truth of sanctified PACT permeate the whole American society. Secondly, it explores the institutionalized surveillance of citizens’ discourse, which is orchestrated by the authorities, neighbors, and even the citizens themselves. By intertwining these mechanisms, the white authorities construct a self-reinforcing system where discriminatory practices are framed as rational and necessary.