Graduate Institute of Taiwanese Literature, NCCU

Title The Heterogeneous Mixture of “the Modern” and “the Primitive”: Modernism in Ong Nao’s Novels Author Chu, Huei-Chu Assistant Professor, Graduate Institute of Taiwanese Literature, National Chung-Hsing University Abstract Recent postcolonial studies show that the appearance of modernism in the west metropolitan can be attributed to foreign migrants such as elites from the colonies as well as the anthropological contact with the Third World. This historical fact requires us to explore modernism in the process of interracial and intercultural contact and translation. This paper deals with Ong Nao’s novels, as an example, in which modernism is interwoven with other literary conventions, such as realism and romanticism. How did Taiwanese intellectual studied in Japan, after exposing to Japanese modernism, develop their own modernism imbued with local color? How do they deal with the following colonial materials adolescence experience in Taiwan, psychological split between Tokyo and Taiwan, traditional Taiwanese characters in modernist language and style? In particular, how do modernist style and civilization experiences mix with local color and primitive sexual desire? Furthermore, I will discuss how the evaluation and discussion of Ong Nao’s novels exhibit particular cultural meanings and transformations of modernism.

Title On the Acceptance of Modernist Poetry into the Korean Literature in the 1930s Author Choi, Mal-Soon Assistant Professor, Graduate Institute of Taiwanese Literature, National Chengchi University Abstract The Modernist literature in Korea in the 1930s reflects social changes caused by capitalist development on one hand, and it gives diversified literary responses to the experience of colonial rule on the other hand. In particular, the key difference from the literature in the past lies in the capture of modern feeling by experimenting with different techniques and styles to achieve brand-new aesthetic effects. In other words, literary responses made to colonial capitalism via the acceptance and production of Western Modernism have the characteristics of aesthetic modernity. From the perspective of the influence of Western Modernist literature, the modern recognition of contemporary colonial capitalism, and the transformation of Korea, this study performs an analysis on three dimensions of Modernist literature in the 1930s by discussing the poetic works of six poets. To begin with, this study discusses the poems written by the earlier poets, Kim Ki-Rim and Kim Kwang-Gyun. Regardless of slight differences in writing styles, technically they are deeply influenced by imagism, a movement of Modernism in Britain and the United States. In their poems, emotions are seldom seen, and messages are delivered by means of numerous images, to present a more rational style. In terms of the content, they prefer to depict the scenery of urban areas, and indirectly express their viewpoints in modern times. Secondly, Yi Sang and O Chang-Hwan are influenced by Dadaism and symbolism, respectively. They carry out a deeper and more internal exploration of properties and the nature of modern times, and finally obtain a negative understanding of modernity in common. Thirdly, Chong Chi-Yong and Paek Sok attempt to figure out solutions to modern unrest and the risk of self-splitting by means of the national sentiment of being Koreans and pleasant memories of pre-modern rural communities.

Title Conceptions of Intellectualism, the Real and the Surreal: Surrealism in Prewar Taiwan Author Lin, Chin-Li Assistant Professor, Department of Applied Japanese, Hsing-Kuo University Abstract Modernism in prewar Taiwan can be viewed as the result of time-space compression phenomenon. The concept of modernism was originated in the West but it had been mixed with all the elements of time and space when it reached the Taiwanese literary field and was therefore significantly altered. Thus we can no longer interpret Taiwanese modernist literature from the western point of view. While facing the same terms such as Modernism or Surrealism, it is inevitable to question how the particular concepts of Taiwanese Modernism was reconstructed, what kinds of contradictions were involved, and how this modernism enriched or limited the creation of Taiwanese literature. This discussion will start from the poetry of Yang Chih-Chang, an important member of Le Moulin Poetry Society, and compare the theories of Surrealism in France, Japan and Taiwan. Finally, by analyzing Long Yin-Zong’s poems, this paper will show how surrealism became a powerful source to express the inner self in the crisis of cultural identities.

Title Toward the Smelling Words: Representations of Smell and Scent in Modern Japanese Poetry Author Tsuboi, Hideto Lee, Wen-Ju (Translator) Professor, Graduate School of Letters, Nagoya University Assistant Professor, Department of Oriental Languages and Cultures, TzuChi University Abstract In the 19th century European discourse of sensibility, the sense of smell was degraded in the order of visualism. Similar phenomenon could be seen in Japan. Besides, the discourse of degeneration in modern Europe was deeply reflected in the smell representation of naturalism and symbolism literature. In Japanese, the sense of smell and of scent was differenced. The former was regarded negtive generally. Besides, it was explained with a public meaning, and the later was read in a personal, privite context. “Smell” was focused, and discoursed in the stench problem of metropolotan public health in the beginning of Meiji period. Inevitably, the frame that differentiate between private and public was loosed in literature and art field. In the order of visualism, how did smell challenge the predominated visual displine through literary language? This is what I try to answer in the thesis by researching the varible experiment of Japanese modern poetry after 20th century.

Title The Pursuit of the Subjectivity of Taiwan’s Culture: Yang Kui’s Editorial Strategy on Chinese Literature Series Author Huang, Hui-Chen Chairperson & Associate Professor, Department of Taiwan Languages and Communication, National United University Abstract Since July 1st, 1947, the six volume books Chinese Literature Series (Chinese-Japanese bilingual edition) edited by Yang Kui have been published in succession by Tunghua Books Company, but one of volumes The Last Days of Huang, Kung-Chun has probably never been published. This paper intends to compare these already published volumes Chinese Literature Series with Yang Kui’s later edited publications Taiwanese Literature Series, with a concern on the manuscripts he left related to these books, in order to explore his editorial strategy on Chinese Literature Series. This study has three findings. First of all, there exists a great difference between Chinese Literature Series and Taiwanese Literature Series: the latter whose articles deal with the representation of the phenomena in the early post-war Taiwan society display the unique nature of Taiwan’s culture, but the former which contain the pre-war works of New Literature from Taiwan and Mainland China do not. Second, in spite of this difference, they both not only give weight to the realistic literature works produced by left-wing writers, but also demonstrate the fighting spirit as well as the tenacious pursuit of democracy. Finally, in the particular space and time of the early post-war Taiwan, the books Chinese Literature Series associate the anti-colonial literature created in the period of Japanese occupation with the works produced during the post-war period, and furthermore, the books also introduce the new literature works bred from the liberal thought of the May-Fourth Movement to Taiwan. These editorial arrangements were designed to criticize the political situation at that time. With these three findings, this paper concludes that Yang Kui’s Chinese Literature Series reveal his concern for the future of Taiwan, his protest against the political discrimination of Chinese Government, and his steady attitude of resistance toward over-all sinicization (Zhonggouhua). The editorial strategy of Chinese Literature Series clearly indicates Yang Kui’s positive insistence on the Subjectivity of Taiwan’s culture during the post-war period of Taiwan.

Title Nakamura kokyou’s Colony Travel in the early Taisho period Author Chiu, Ya-Fang Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Taiwan Language and communication, National United University Abstract Nakamura Kokyou(1881-1952), graduating from Department of Literature, Imperial Tokyo University, made a trip to Taiwan in 1913, and produced two pieces of writings about Taiwan: “To the lighthouse of Erh-luan-pi”(1913) and “From barbarian tribes”(1916). The scene depicted in both works was actually his personal experience in aboriginal tribes deep into Ping-tung respectively. The peculiarity of the works well exemplified Nakamura’s hardship as adventure on the trip when the condition of transportation was extremely inconvenient. Why did Nakamura tried every possible way to reach the lighthouse of Erh-luan-pi at the south end of the island? In what kind of mood did he visit Mu-tan-she where the bloody incident had occurred before? The answers to these questions would be found in the examination of texts in his works. This study attempts to observe colonial traveler’s eyes on the trip and to further understand Japanese initial impression of Taiwan in the early Emperor Taisho period.

Title Engaging by Heart? Or Resigning to Fate?: Discussion on the Writing Features and Horticultural Concept in Liu, Da-Ren’s Yuan Lin Nei Wai Author Wu, Ming-Yi Associate Professor, Department of Chinese Literature, National Dong Hwa University Abstract To the study about nature-oriented literature in Taiwan, I have always believed for the past several years that there are some fields waiting to be developed: first is to clarify the definition of nature-oriented writings, nature writing, and environmental writing. The second is to use Taiwanese postwar novel and poetry as research subject and continue to explore hidden “nature consciousness” in text, the third is to investigate writing meanings in specific environment and landscapes, the fourth is to discuss nature consciousness in Native Taiwanese Han language literature Han language writings. This is a preliminary study for the third topic. Liu, Da-Ren is an important overseas novelist and essayist of Taiwan; besides, he is also a devoted sports fan and an amateur horticulturist. The related horticulture writings in his early work, Safari, are even praised as the pioneer in Taiwan. This essay analyzes the implication of “Horticulture Writing” addressed by Liu, Da-Ren and the garden concept through combining Safari and Yuan Lin Nei Wai (2006). Readers could find out that Liu, Da-Ren not only cures his homesickness, talks about his family, recalls his friends by portraying his experiences in landscape gardening and planting over twenty years, but he also considers about his own “Garden Culture Concept”--a planting way of “each in its proper place.” Behind this conception, there is a more macroscopic eco-concept which has existed from his early years. That is, outside the garden, maybe human beings should also reflect upon Eco-Colonialism and Eco-Transformation, and let artificial gardens talk with nature, let each creature be in its proper place. Through the analysis upon Yuan Lin Nei Wai, this essay in one way carries the “lost” out in Nature-Oriented Literature, and in another way catches a glimpse of the eco-concept and forms of expression of a unique writer. Thus, this essay opens another window and another view for Eco-criticism in Taiwan.