英文摘要 |
One of the purposes of travel is to experience different cultures. Studies examining Taiwanese travel writings about travels to the US during the Japanese colonial period are relatively limited in number. Nevertheless, these writings are significant discourses and worthy of academic attention since they are recollected thoughts from the intellectual elites. This study selected the writings of four prominent figures as primary research materials. These which include: “Recent Travel Notes from Europe and America” by Yan, Guo-Nian (1886-1937), “The Diary of Traveling in America” by Huang, Chau-Chin (18971972), “Travel Notes Around the World” by Tu, Tsung-Ming (1993-1986), and “My Experiences Abroad” by Lin, Shian-Tang (1881-1956). Travel and narrative are closely related, and their relations can be discerned from perspectives such as these writers’ intellectual and cultural assets, and their motivations to travel before their departures. These writings are also useful for analyzing their travel itineraries, the important landscapes that they visited, and their cultural criticisms after returning. Their departures and returns, from their hometown to America, can be determined by their writings in reflection after returning home. These writings also reveal their epiphanies and culture shocks during the journey. The methodologies employed in this research included textual analysis and interpretation of important books, interviews, and field research in order to contextualize the boundary crossing thoughts of the Taiwanese literati. Their primary concerns in the writings usually encompass modernity in the US cities, observations of western education systems, the development of democracy, and criticism on the citizenship, and thus reveal strong critical perspectives on cultural differences and observations. By interpreting perspectives and analyzing narrative strategies in travel writings, and exposing the cultural differences observed by intellectual elites, this paper intends to contextualize the development of travel writings by the Taiwanese literati. |