The Way (novel)

Plot

The plot follows the protagonist, a Taiwanese youth named Chen Ching-nan (陳青楠). During the implementation of the Japanization (Kominka) movement by the Taiwan Governor-General's Office, he grapples with the challenge of transforming himself from an unrecognized local into a true subject of the Emperor. His efforts to improve the distillation of camphor and increase production earn him recognition, but no promotion. He endures discrimination and meager treatment. He repeatedly argues that Taiwanese people can prove their Japanese identity through hard work. In the end, he realizes that he must join the ranks of volunteer soldiers and undergo the ritual sacrifice of his body to gain recognition as a Japanese person.

In 1943, when The Way was first published, Japanese writers in Taiwan, such as Hayao Hamada (濱田隼雄) and Mitsuru Nishikawa (西川滿), wrote articles praising it, considering it a "unique work of imperial Subject Literature" and a prototype for the literature of that time. The Way played a crucial role in establishing the significance of this literary genre. In the 1970s, with the rise of the studies of Taiwan literature, discussions about the literary and historical significance of The Way were reignited. In the 1990s and beyond, due to the exploration of the protagonist's promotion challenges within the Monopoly Bureau, some writers and scholars deemed the work as a form of protest literature, protesting against the colonial societal class structure, sparking further discussions.

References

References

1. Chen, Cai-qi. (2015). "跨時代的「皇民文學」作家——陳火泉研究". National Tsing Hua University.
2. Tzeng, Chiao-yun. (2005). "未完成進行式——戰期、戰後的皇民文學論爭/述". National Cheng Kung University.
3. Chang, Chia-feng. (2012). "悠悠人生路─陳火泉作品研究". Nanhua University.
4. Hamada, Hayao. (1943). "小說「道」について". 文藝臺灣(Bungei Taiwan).
5. Lin, Jui-ming. (1996). "台灣文學的歷史考察". Asian Culture Publishing CO.
6. Hoshina, Hirofumi. "大東亞共榮圈的台灣作家（一） ——陳火泉之皇民文學型態". 台灣文藝(Taiwan Literary Arts).