Until 1949, when Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek fled from Mainland China to the Island of Formosa, few people throughout the world knew about that island of the China coast. Once Formosa became the seat of the Nationalist Government of China that little island has been much in headlines everywhere. Indeed, Formosa is of major importance in world politics and international affairs these days. So much for a very brief sketch of the island itself. The story of its importance, its history and its development will be the purpose of the balance of this study. It is not to be the purpose of this treatise to present an exhaustive study of all the various facets of the life of Formosa’s many classes and types of people. Rather, it will be an endeavor, briefly, to outline the history of Formosa, and thus identify the place and power of Formosa as it related to the whole field of contemporary history. No doubt for many years to come, Formosa will continue to be an important factor in the affairs of the Far East.

published_or_final_version / Politics and Public Administration / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

Abstract not available

This thesis engages with Taiwanese history by offering a reading of Hou Hsiaohsien???s A City of Sadness (1989), making reference to the film???s historical dimensions, cultural representations and gender issues in the period 1945 to 1949. In addition, Hou???s cinematography is detailed with comparison to Yasujiro Ozu and the influences of Japanese colonisation. Hou???s immense contribution to Taiwanese film consists principally in a Taiwanese trilogy that traces Taiwan???s history in the 20th century. In The Puppet Master (1993) Hou details the era of Japanese colonisation from 1895 to the restoration of Taiwan by the Kuomintang in 1945. Later, A City of Sadness focuses on the fate of the Lin family from 1945 to 1949, which epitomises people???s life in Taiwan during the initial stages of Kuomintang domination. Finally, Good Men, Good Women (1995) highlights two different eras in Taiwan: the political movement in the 1950s and the pop culture in the 1990s. The thesis uses illustrations from all three films to explore Hou???s historical, cultural and gender representations. In order to understand Hou???s ideology and beliefs in greater depth, I also review his autobiographical film, A Time to Live, and A Time to Die (1985). This thesis examines Taiwan???s indigenous culture and the impact of Japanese and Chinese cultural practices in A City of Sadness through the post-colonial theories of Perry Anderson, Homi Bhabha, and Chris Berry. I draw on their theories of cultural hegemony and my empiricism to investigate Hou???s representation of the political situation in Taiwan. Finally, the thesis evaluates gender issues in A City of Sadness, with reference to Julia Kristeva???s notion of ???feminine time??? and the debate between Emilie Yeh and Mizou concerning ???whether women can really enter history???. In evaluating A City of Sadness I argue that Hou Hsiao-hsien???s use of a family???s microhistory to parallel the national macro-history of the February 28th Incident opens an important historical window through which the audience may re-encounter and reflect on Taiwan???s past, and think positively about its future.

This thesis engages with Taiwanese history by offering a reading of Hou Hsiaohsien???s A City of Sadness (1989), making reference to the film???s historical dimensions, cultural representations and gender issues in the period 1945 to 1949. In addition, Hou???s cinematography is detailed with comparison to Yasujiro Ozu and the influences of Japanese colonisation. Hou???s immense contribution to Taiwanese film consists principally in a Taiwanese trilogy that traces Taiwan???s history in the 20th century. In The Puppet Master (1993) Hou details the era of Japanese colonisation from 1895 to the restoration of Taiwan by the Kuomintang in 1945. Later, A City of Sadness focuses on the fate of the Lin family from 1945 to 1949, which epitomises people???s life in Taiwan during the initial stages of Kuomintang domination. Finally, Good Men, Good Women (1995) highlights two different eras in Taiwan: the political movement in the 1950s and the pop culture in the 1990s. The thesis uses illustrations from all three films to explore Hou???s historical, cultural and gender representations. In order to understand Hou???s ideology and beliefs in greater depth, I also review his autobiographical film, A Time to Live, and A Time to Die (1985). This thesis examines Taiwan???s indigenous culture and the impact of Japanese and Chinese cultural practices in A City of Sadness through the post-colonial theories of Perry Anderson, Homi Bhabha, and Chris Berry. I draw on their theories of cultural hegemony and my empiricism to investigate Hou???s representation of the political situation in Taiwan. Finally, the thesis evaluates gender issues in A City of Sadness, with reference to Julia Kristeva???s notion of ???feminine time??? and the debate between Emilie Yeh and Mizou concerning ???whether women can really enter history???. In evaluating A City of Sadness I argue that Hou Hsiao-hsien???s use of a family???s microhistory to parallel the national macro-history of the February 28th Incident opens an important historical window through which the audience may re-encounter and reflect on Taiwan???s past, and think positively about its future.

This thesis engages with Taiwanese history by offering a reading of Hou Hsiaohsien???s A City of Sadness (1989), making reference to the film???s historical dimensions, cultural representations and gender issues in the period 1945 to 1949. In addition, Hou???s cinematography is detailed with comparison to Yasujiro Ozu and the influences of Japanese colonisation. Hou???s immense contribution to Taiwanese film consists principally in a Taiwanese trilogy that traces Taiwan???s history in the 20th century. In The Puppet Master (1993) Hou details the era of Japanese colonisation from 1895 to the restoration of Taiwan by the Kuomintang in 1945. Later, A City of Sadness focuses on the fate of the Lin family from 1945 to 1949, which epitomises people???s life in Taiwan during the initial stages of Kuomintang domination. Finally, Good Men, Good Women (1995) highlights two different eras in Taiwan: the political movement in the 1950s and the pop culture in the 1990s. The thesis uses illustrations from all three films to explore Hou???s historical, cultural and gender representations. In order to understand Hou???s ideology and beliefs in greater depth, I also review his autobiographical film, A Time to Live, and A Time to Die (1985). This thesis examines Taiwan???s indigenous culture and the impact of Japanese and Chinese cultural practices in A City of Sadness through the post-colonial theories of Perry Anderson, Homi Bhabha, and Chris Berry. I draw on their theories of cultural hegemony and my empiricism to investigate Hou???s representation of the political situation in Taiwan. Finally, the thesis evaluates gender issues in A City of Sadness, with reference to Julia Kristeva???s notion of ???feminine time??? and the debate between Emilie Yeh and Mizou concerning ???whether women can really enter history???. In evaluating A City of Sadness I argue that Hou Hsiao-hsien???s use of a family???s microhistory to parallel the national macro-history of the February 28th Incident opens an important historical window through which the audience may re-encounter and reflect on Taiwan???s past, and think positively about its future.

This thesis engages with Taiwanese history by offering a reading of Hou Hsiaohsien???s A City of Sadness (1989), making reference to the film???s historical dimensions, cultural representations and gender issues in the period 1945 to 1949. In addition, Hou???s cinematography is detailed with comparison to Yasujiro Ozu and the influences of Japanese colonisation. Hou???s immense contribution to Taiwanese film consists principally in a Taiwanese trilogy that traces Taiwan???s history in the 20th century. In The Puppet Master (1993) Hou details the era of Japanese colonisation from 1895 to the restoration of Taiwan by the Kuomintang in 1945. Later, A City of Sadness focuses on the fate of the Lin family from 1945 to 1949, which epitomises people???s life in Taiwan during the initial stages of Kuomintang domination. Finally, Good Men, Good Women (1995) highlights two different eras in Taiwan: the political movement in the 1950s and the pop culture in the 1990s. The thesis uses illustrations from all three films to explore Hou???s historical, cultural and gender representations. In order to understand Hou???s ideology and beliefs in greater depth, I also review his autobiographical film, A Time to Live, and A Time to Die (1985). This thesis examines Taiwan???s indigenous culture and the impact of Japanese and Chinese cultural practices in A City of Sadness through the post-colonial theories of Perry Anderson, Homi Bhabha, and Chris Berry. I draw on their theories of cultural hegemony and my empiricism to investigate Hou???s representation of the political situation in Taiwan. Finally, the thesis evaluates gender issues in A City of Sadness, with reference to Julia Kristeva???s notion of ???feminine time??? and the debate between Emilie Yeh and Mizou concerning ???whether women can really enter history???. In evaluating A City of Sadness I argue that Hou Hsiao-hsien???s use of a family???s microhistory to parallel the national macro-history of the February 28th Incident opens an important historical window through which the audience may re-encounter and reflect on Taiwan???s past, and think positively about its future.

This thesis engages with Taiwanese history by offering a reading of Hou Hsiaohsien???s A City of Sadness (1989), making reference to the film???s historical dimensions, cultural representations and gender issues in the period 1945 to 1949. In addition, Hou???s cinematography is detailed with comparison to Yasujiro Ozu and the influences of Japanese colonisation. Hou???s immense contribution to Taiwanese film consists principally in a Taiwanese trilogy that traces Taiwan???s history in the 20th century. In The Puppet Master (1993) Hou details the era of Japanese colonisation from 1895 to the restoration of Taiwan by the Kuomintang in 1945. Later, A City of Sadness focuses on the fate of the Lin family from 1945 to 1949, which epitomises people???s life in Taiwan during the initial stages of Kuomintang domination. Finally, Good Men, Good Women (1995) highlights two different eras in Taiwan: the political movement in the 1950s and the pop culture in the 1990s. The thesis uses illustrations from all three films to explore Hou???s historical, cultural and gender representations. In order to understand Hou???s ideology and beliefs in greater depth, I also review his autobiographical film, A Time to Live, and A Time to Die (1985). This thesis examines Taiwan???s indigenous culture and the impact of Japanese and Chinese cultural practices in A City of Sadness through the post-colonial theories of Perry Anderson, Homi Bhabha, and Chris Berry. I draw on their theories of cultural hegemony and my empiricism to investigate Hou???s representation of the political situation in Taiwan. Finally, the thesis evaluates gender issues in A City of Sadness, with reference to Julia Kristeva???s notion of ???feminine time??? and the debate between Emilie Yeh and Mizou concerning ???whether women can really enter history???. In evaluating A City of Sadness I argue that Hou Hsiao-hsien???s use of a family???s microhistory to parallel the national macro-history of the February 28th Incident opens an important historical window through which the audience may re-encounter and reflect on Taiwan???s past, and think positively about its future.

This thesis engages with Taiwanese history by offering a reading of Hou Hsiaohsien???s A City of Sadness (1989), making reference to the film???s historical dimensions, cultural representations and gender issues in the period 1945 to 1949. In addition, Hou???s cinematography is detailed with comparison to Yasujiro Ozu and the influences of Japanese colonisation. Hou???s immense contribution to Taiwanese film consists principally in a Taiwanese trilogy that traces Taiwan???s history in the 20th century. In The Puppet Master (1993) Hou details the era of Japanese colonisation from 1895 to the restoration of Taiwan by the Kuomintang in 1945. Later, A City of Sadness focuses on the fate of the Lin family from 1945 to 1949, which epitomises people???s life in Taiwan during the initial stages of Kuomintang domination. Finally, Good Men, Good Women (1995) highlights two different eras in Taiwan: the political movement in the 1950s and the pop culture in the 1990s. The thesis uses illustrations from all three films to explore Hou???s historical, cultural and gender representations. In order to understand Hou???s ideology and beliefs in greater depth, I also review his autobiographical film, A Time to Live, and A Time to Die (1985). This thesis examines Taiwan???s indigenous culture and the impact of Japanese and Chinese cultural practices in A City of Sadness through the post-colonial theories of Perry Anderson, Homi Bhabha, and Chris Berry. I draw on their theories of cultural hegemony and my empiricism to investigate Hou???s representation of the political situation in Taiwan. Finally, the thesis evaluates gender issues in A City of Sadness, with reference to Julia Kristeva???s notion of ???feminine time??? and the debate between Emilie Yeh and Mizou concerning ???whether women can really enter history???. In evaluating A City of Sadness I argue that Hou Hsiao-hsien???s use of a family???s microhistory to parallel the national macro-history of the February 28th Incident opens an important historical window through which the audience may re-encounter and reflect on Taiwan???s past, and think positively about its future.

published_or_final_version / abstract / Chinese / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy