Spiritual Private History of Intellectuals: An Interpretation of Taiwanese Modernist Fiction

Author: Zhu Lili
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-09-01
Features: This book, in its selection of subjects, not only includes well-received masterpieces that have been extensively reviewed but also focuses on less-discussed yet uniquely individual writers and texts that the author deems distinctive, such as Wang Shangyi, Li Yongping, and Wang Wenxing's The Man Behind the Sea. It examines several independent yet closely related thematic aspects or perspectives. 1 Existentialism, as a cultural trend, is inherent in the spiritual condition of Taiwanese youth intellectuals; as a cultural idea, it is also reflected in the intricate texture of modernist fiction. Although this perspective has been repeatedly mentioned, it has never been fully elaborated. This paper aims to achieve a balance between tracing cultural trends and interpreting specific texts, thereby generating some novel insights and approaches. This section discusses several issues: , the relationship between existentialist philosophy and literature. Second, existentialist thought in the cultural context of post-war Taiwan; third, modernist fiction and the courage of existence.