From City vs. Country to Urban City— Taiwanese Novels in 80’s and Introduction of the Urban City

• Main Authors: Fang Wan-Jen, 方婉禎
• Other Authors: Shi Shu-Nu
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2002
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/55354425785230326900

碩士 === 淡江大學 === 中國文學系 === 90 === Through wash of the great commotion in 70’s, Taiwan in 80’s has gradually advanced to a diversified social type. A surge of gigantic dynamics has been released in terms of all sorts of aspects no matter it is politics, economy or culture, which shrugs off the traditional burdens and challenges the authoritative system, result in a trend of reformation and liberation. Urban development formed out of social transformation has made urban life become a focus of imagination and concern for the writers. However, such novels created about the urban theme have always been ignored by the researchers. This paper is of a topic “From City vs. Country to Urban City— Taiwanese Novels in 1980’s and Introduction of the Urban City” meaning to analyze how the urban city as an image has operated in the Taiwanese novels in the 80’s and explore the traces of the switch from city vs. country to urban consciousness in terms of the descriptive motif. Chapter I is trying to clarify the definition of urban literature and what it looks like in the language contexts between Chinese and Western cultures. What does the idea of “a urban city” mean? And what does it differ from the “city”? Also how has it been expressed in terms of the literatures of the Chinese and Western histories? And as a literary genre, what are the characteristics and conditions that frame the urban novels? Then it will further distinguish the relationship between an urban city and the literature. The resolutions to such problems will help establish the theoretical basis for this paper. In Chapter II, the focus lies on the present real state of the Taiwanese society in the 80’s. Then explore what different transformations the literary language contexts have encountered at that time and what kind of connections it has with the rise of the urban literature. Based on the opinion of this paper, it considers the life experiences brought about by time-space compression are good enough to be the key reasons to the rapid fall of the folk literature. On the other hand, the maturity of the civil society and the prosperity of the mass literature are also important sufficiently to push the production of urban literature. While the trend for globalization is another force that has gradually been brewed inside the urban city and shall not be overlooked After analysis of the external factors, Chapter III has advanced to discuss the reasons why the writers have always tried to criticize the progress of urbanization. And the traditional position of city vs. country is just the aesthetic standpoint that they have based in order to observe a urban city. This paper is mainly focused on the discussion about Tung Nien and Wang, You-Hua with folk writers as the secondary subjects, trying to explain how the thinking mode that identifies with the folk but rejects the urban literature has been fermented and shaped in their works. Chapter IV is focusing on the aesthetic expression of Huang, Fan individually and the themes and contents in his works. This paper considers that behind the black jokes of Huang, Fan lies his intention to criticize the social reality. Through the comedy effects created by the fatally black humor that is consistent, he tries to criticize the realistic society that is hypocritical and mediocre. Also the creative method by exaggerating and disfiguring the characters complied with the absurd and ridiculous plots is just the exit for modern people to break through out of this urban jungle where they are lost. Finally, by way of the parody against classical schemes, it tries to loosen up the value system that does not allow for any doubts in the past. Based on these three techniques, this paper has tried to justify the urban consciousness disclosed by Huang, Fan’s works.