"In 21st century Taiwan literature, a significant number of narratives revolve around the theme of cultural exchange resulting from war, trade, and the spread of religious beliefs. Many of these narratives explore the role of Western missionaries in Taiwan. This paper specifically examines the works of Hua-Tang Chuang and Ming-Tsung Tsao, both of whom emphasize meticulous research and historical accuracy in their writing. Their novels, including The Storms of Baysai and Waterscape by Hua-Tang Chuang and Maria of Elmosa by Ming-Tsung Tsao, focus on the age of maritime exploration and represent missionary roles as vehicles for expressing postcolonial perspectives.
These three novels portray interactions among Spanish individuals, Dominican missionaries, and the Plains Indigenous people of Keelung and Tamsui in Northern Taiwan. Characters such as Francisco and Jacinto Esquivel in Chuang ’s works play pivotal roles in advancing the narrative, while Tsao ’s portrayal of Jacinto Esquivel is equally influential.
This paper seeks to address several key questions: Why are the missionaries in these novels often depicted as holy figures? How do they operate outside the bureaucratic structures of colonial empires? How does their faith in God become a favorable condition for their engagement in Taiwan? Can the authors’ narrative balancing between the “incorporation” and “alienation” of the “other” truly achieve decolonizing objectives?
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