The Phenomenon of Inter-regional Communication of Existentialist Literature in Taiwan and Hong Kong: Modernist Periodicals and Books in 1950s to 1970s

• Main Authors: Na Yen, 顏訥
• Other Authors: Wen-Wei Shiu
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2011
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/41291395802866100872

碩士 === 國立東華大學 === 華文文學系 === 99 === Existentialism had been introduced to Taiwan through 施翠峰’s translation of Albert Camus’s fiction L'Etranger in the 1950s. It had given rise to a great mass fervor of Existentialism in Taiwan literary arena until 1970’s. During those 30 years, there were different quantities of translations and introductions about Existentialist philosophy and literature. Furthermore, there were many critics who analyzing Taiwan literature in the concepts of Existentialism. They even quoted Jean-Paul Satre, Albert Camus and Franz Kafka’s ideas in their fictional works, prose, poetry, supplements, magazines. Most of the previous argument about how Existentialism had been brought to Taiwan and how it had influenced the style of writing were general; few of their discourses were based on the cautious investigation about publication, magazines and supplements. Moreover, many scholars ignored the important phenomenon of inter-regional communication in Taiwan and Hong Kong. The literary and artistic thoughts, which had already been verified in some research, were largely overlooked. Therefore, we should take the condition of Existentialist writing in Hong Kong as an object of study as well, and observe how it interacted with Existentialist writing in Taiwan. In this research, the thesis establishes the communicational phenomenon of Existentialism between Taiwan and Hong Kong. I will begin by investigating publications, magazines and supplements, and take Satre, Camus and Kafka as the main objects of this research. Secondly, I will interpret the reason why Existentialist works had been translated and discussed extensively in Taiwan and Hong Kong from 1950s through 1970s. While highlighting the various viewpoints of social milieu, the translation’s sources and the literary commercialization. The so-called “Existentialist writing” in Taiwan and Hong Kong can be interpreted as “general- Existentialist influence.” In conclusion, the thesis paper will give the reasons for the interpretation, while articulating the Existentialist influence on Taiwan and Hong Kong’s writings.