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Title |
A Prisoner Away From Prison: The Concepts of Self-Discipline and Mutual Healing as Observed in Zhang Da-xiou’s Letters to Green Island |
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Author |
Li, Chi-Hau |
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Assistant Professor, General Education Center, National Formosa University |
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Abstract |
Zhang Da-xiou (1906-1983) was a classical poet who rose to fame in Taiwan after World War II. In 2007, his family members published Letters to Green Island, revealing the distress that he had experienced as the father of someone who was subjected to the White Terror. This book comprises letters that Zhang Da-xiou mailed to his son Zhang Zhen-teng on Green Island. Knowing that his letters would be read by prison officers, their content embodied “self-discipline,” demonstrating his obedience to the prison officers while teaching his son about various matters. In addition, Zhang Da-xiou portrayed personal connections and thoughts that conformed to the ideology of the prison officers. He emphasized his desire to reclaim mainland China in order to gain the trust of the prison officers so that the safety of his son could be ensured. In effect, Zhang Da-xiou was also a “prisoner” because of the self-discipline that he had to practice when writing the letters. However, the letters also facilitated spiritual healing. In the letters, family changes and descriptions of hometown scenes during Zhang Zhen-teng’s long imprisonment were stated, creating an image that induced spiritual healing. The book illustrates the sorrow of families in the face of the White Terror in addition to the hope that, despite miscarriages of justice, their families would be complete once more. |
