國立成功大學多元文化研究中心

歡迎晚宴

                                   ◆時間：2013年5月24日（五）18：00

                                   ◆地點：雨荷舞水

                                   ◆時間：2013年5月25日（六）

                                   ◆場地：成功大學國際演講廳第一演講室

08：00

｜

08：40

報　　　　到

08：40

｜

09：00

主持人

【開幕致詞】

成大文學院院長

賴俊雄

成大校長黃煌煇、國立台文館館長李瑞騰、成大文學院副院長陳玉女

成大閩南中心主任施懿琳

場次

主持人

【專題演講】

09：00

｜

10：30

金門大學

客座教授

王秋桂

馬紫晨（河南省藝術研究院研究員）：「活詞戲」及其在現當代的傳播

Professor John M. Zemke（University of Missouri）

John Miles Foley’s Pathways Project: Oral Tradition and the Internet,Introduction and Invitation

茶敘（10：30～10：50）

場次

主持人

發表人

題　目

特約討論人

第一場

10：50

｜

12：10

中國社科院

民族文學所研究員

尹虎彬

Susan Seizer

美國印地安那大學

傳播與文化學系副教授

Double-Voiced Parody：
Stewart Huff Plays a Bigot

林雯玲

南大戲劇創作與

應用學系助理教授

司黛蕊

中研院民族所副研究員

Changing the Story: Women’s Participatory Fandom in Unscripted Taiwanese Opera in the 1950s and 1960s

楊芳枝

成大台文系教授

李信瑩

清大人社院講師

Modernists’ Attempt at Re-embodying the Ephemeral Orality in Print: Virginia Woolf, Gertrude Stein and Samuel Beckett

梁文菁

清大外文系助理教授

午餐（12：10～13：30）

第二場

13：30

｜

15：10

台大中文系名譽教授

曾永義

尹虎彬

中國社科院民族文學所研究員

清末民初華北鄉村神社傳承的寶卷

鄭阿財

南華文學系教授

周純一

南華民族音樂學系副教授

台閩地區對梁祝故事的詮釋比較

陳  芳

台師大國文系教授

洪淑苓

台大中文系教授

唸歌藝人的學藝歷程與即興表演藝術

――以王玉川、陳美珠及陳寶貴為例

施炳華

台灣歌仔冊學會會長

鄭劭榮

長沙理工大學中文系副教授

從書場走向戲場
──論說唱伎藝與傳統戲曲口頭劇本的形成

林鋒雄

北大古典文獻與

民俗藝術研究所教授

茶敘（15：10～15：30）

第三場

15：30

｜

17：10

台大戲劇系特聘教授

王安祈

汪曉雲

廈大人類學與民族學系副教授

從台灣歌仔戲的發生看閩台族群認同

陳文松

成大歷史系助理教授

吳秀卿、金阿蘭

韓國漢陽大學中文系教授、博士生

躍鯉記在福建──以四平戲、梨園戲為例

高美華

成大中文系副教授

鄭　梓

成大歷史系教授

台閩民間戲劇交流面向之一──
以民國史上「閩劇」的改良及跨海傳播為例

簡秀珍

北藝大傳統音樂系副教授

黃科安、王偉

泉州師院文學與傳播學院教授、講師

曲同調殊：戲改語境中的荔鏡情緣

林幸慧

成大中文系副教授

18：00

  晚宴

                                   ◆時間：2013年5月26日（日）  

                                   ◆場地：成功大學國際演講廳第一演講室

08：30

｜

08：50

報　　　　到 

場次

主持人

發表人

題目

討論人

第四場

08：50

｜

10：10

成大中文系教授

王三慶

姚溪山

中國國家一級編劇

幕表戲在地方戲曲發展中的定位與貢獻
──以漳州薌劇為例

林國源

北藝大戲劇系教授

林瑞武

福建省藝術研究院副院長

福建省部份閩南語劇種民營劇團生存狀況概述

丘慧瑩

彰師大國文系副教授

林鶴宜

台大戲劇系教授

歌仔戲即興戲劇研究的田野資料類型與運用

劉文峰

中國藝術研究院研究員

陳龍廷

台師大台文系副教授

臺灣布袋戲的口頭表演與即興特質

呂興昌

成大台文系教授

茶敘（10：10～10：30）

第五場

10：30

｜

12：10

台大戲劇系教授

林鶴宜

劉文峰

中國藝術研究院研究員

清末民初梆子「提綱戲」探析

──以中國藝術研究院圖書館藏本為例

邱坤良

北藝大劇本創作所教授

劉南芳

成大台文系助理教授

活戲的即興表現與定型書寫

徐亞湘

文化戲劇系教授

沈　勇

浙江藝術職業學院創作中心主任

「路頭戲」賦子的程式研究

──以越劇為例

李國俊

中央中文系副教授

吉　莉

河南師範大學音樂與舞蹈學院副教授

戲曲的民間敘事探析──以河南曲劇為例

張啟豐

北藝大戲劇系副教授

午餐（12：10～13：30）

第六場

13：30

｜

15：10

北藝大劇本創作所教授

邱坤良

細井尚子

日本立教大學異文化交流學院教授

日本近代大眾娛樂市場的特性

──從百貨大樓和少女歌劇來看

林于竝

北藝大戲劇系副教授

呂俐瑩

新加坡南洋理工大學

中文系博士候選人

電影和戲曲的交會：
從電影《龍飛鳳舞》談歌仔戲的跨界演繹

謝筱玫

台大戲劇系助理教授

余淑娟

中山中文系助理教授

創新與變革

──新加坡閩南戲曲的跨界學習

秦嘉嫄

東華藝術創意產業學系助理教授

茶敘（15：10～15：30）

15：30

｜

17：00

成大台文系

助理教授

劉南芳

座談：口頭文學與民間戲劇調查研究

與談人： 尹虎彬（中國社科院民族文學所研究員）、劉文峰（中國藝術研究院研究員）、林瑞武（福建省藝術研究院副院長）、

        細井尚子（日本立教大學異文化交流學院教授）、司黛蕊（中研院民族所副研究員）、林鶴宜（台大戲劇系教授）、          

        邱坤良（北藝大劇本創作所教授）

17：00

閉幕致詞

成大文學院副院長陳玉女、成大閩南中心主任施懿琳、成大閩南中心執行長陳文松

18：00

  晚宴

Title

Double-Voiced Parody: Stewart Huff Plays a Bigot

Susan Seizer

Abstract

This paper investigates the cathartic, creative craft of transforming a painful event into comedy. Stewart Huff is a road comic, a professional stand-up comic who plays the comedy club circuit across middle America. A riveting storyteller, Huff’s work generally celebrates the quirky passions of people he meets on the road. But occasionally he has to grapple with people and events that he finds profoundly troubling; how to make a confrontational meeting with a bigot in a bar in South Carolina funny? Through reflexive engagement with his own process of rethinking, rewriting, and reliving, Huff creates a performance that splits his own experience into two voices. He demonstrated this process to me in a recent videotaped interview. In this talk I analyze Huff’s breakthrough into performance during this interview, taking to heart Bakhtin’s insight that parody involves a hostile r elation between the speaker and another, and that introducing someone else’s words into our own speech results in a double-voiced narrative. Through such double-voicing Huff presents the complexity of a disturbing interaction in a re-created form that allows him to recreate the world as he would like it to be. The empowering aspects of such a transformation from horror to humor allows Huff’s re-creation to serve simultaneously as humorous recreation for a comedy club audience.

Title

Changing the Story: Comparing the Structure of Women’s Participatory Fandom in Unscripted Taiwanese Opera and Mass Media Puppetry

司黛蕊 SSU,TAI-JUI

Abstract

This paper compares how women fans of Taiwanese Opera (koa-a-hi) in the 1950s to 1970s and women fans of contemporary digital video puppetry (po-te-hi) rewrite canonical narratives.  In the post-war decades, the singing of certain types of songs in Taiwanese Opera was accompanied by a ritual in which fans came to the stage and handed gifts to the performers while they sang.  This ritual disappeared in later decades as written scripts replaced an improvisational performance style.  Fans of the Pili puppetry video series cannot actively intervene in the narratives, which are filmed in studio, as they watch them.  Instead, they write their own narratives about the characters, and distribute them through the internet.   In both cases, the pleasure that women fans take in rewriting the narratives lies in the transcendence of normative gender expectations.  The similarities between opera and puppetry fans’ participation supports Henry Jenkins’ argument that digital technology has facilitated the revival in the late 20^th and early 21^st century of the kind of collective, interactive narrative construction characteristic of folk art.  But the historical comparison also reveals that it is not the technology itself, but how the media of live theater and digital video are institutionalized, that encourages or restricts the expression of women fans’ desires.

Title

The Passing on of Baojuans in Village Shrines in North China During Late Qin and Early Republic Period

尹虎彬 YIN,HU-PIN

Abstract

During late Qin and early Republic period, folk religion and its organizations were popular in North China. The social functions of civil groups such as music association and Buddhist association were to worship gods and hold rural sacred ceremonies. The people in charge of folk religion activities were mostly from large and influencial families in the village. The positions of these people were passed on to consanquinity or to those from the same patriarchal clan. Baojuans were mostly disseminated through sacred ceremonies of temples and village shrines. In the special occasions of baojuan-reading, we noticed that the readings were mostly done by male artists from music association or Buddhist association. In rural societies, transcribing baojuans was viewed as beneficence. There were several civil groups within a village, and the passing of the scriptures between them was through mutual requests or gifting. This paper discusses the ways that baojuans were performed or circulated according to rural traditions in a specific era. The author shows particular concern to the civil groups related to baojuans and explores the dissemination of folk music and tradition of scripture-reading. The author points out in the paper that baojuans are not only scripts for reading but also the basic scripts for performance. The decline of Baojuan-chanting tradition started with the disappearance of ceremonial music. 

Title

A Comparison on the Interpretations of The Butterfly Lovers in Taiwan and Fujian

周純一 CHOU,CHUN-YI

Abstract

The Butterfly Lovers is a legend originated from China. The story took on various new looks in script, small drama, Nan drama and literature after being transmitted into Southern Min district. Aside from being translated into Southern Min language, the legend also underwent modifications and included many local-ideas-based double voicing and polyphony to echo with the apperception and backgrounds of audience. These changes allows the original lend to derive into a variety of dialogue texts. This paper takes the prototype of The Butterfly Lovers as the core to discuss the features of translations in Fujian and Taiwan, and the reason of using regional “heteroglossia” to explain the existence of the legend. The Butterfly Lovers in Fujian and Taiwan underwent different interpretations and developments. It is worth mentioning that dissimilar gender interpretations were taken when dealing with the interpreting principles of the author and characters in the play. This extremely special communication subverts the prototype of this China-originated legend. Hence, this paper discusses the synchronic feature and carnivalization of Taiwanese people by looking at the double voice phenomenon in the conversations of The Butterfly Lovers in Taiwan and Fujian.

Title

Taiwanese Nian-Ge (唸歌)Artists’ Apprenticeship and Art of Improvisation: Taking Yu-chuan Wang, Mei-chu Chen and Pao-kui Chen for Examples

洪淑苓 HUNG,SHU-LING

Abstract

The form and place of time-honored nian-ge art changed along with time. From song books in the period of Japanese occupation to medicine shows popular in 1950-60, radio program and TV, and finally the performances nowadays. The paper tries to understand the skill learning process and performing experiences of Yu-chuan Wang, Mei-chu Chen and Pao-kui Chen, and keep records of their skilled songs. Besides, the paper also investigates the process of the live performances, and studies how musicians and the actors achieve improvisational performing without the help of scripts and rehearsals. Lastly, the paper discusses the current situation and the future possibility of the art of nian-ge.

Title

From Books to Stages: Art of Shuo-Chang (說唱) and the Formation of Verbal Scripts of Chinese Dramas

鄭劭榮 CHENG,SHAO-JUNG

Abstract

From books to stages and from improvisational singing to improvisational drama are the main paths that lead to the birth of oral scripts of Chinese dramas. According to the play history of China, the predecessor of scenario drama is shuo-chang artists. The artists followed folk storytellers’ ways of composing and relied on “outline” texts to create and perform plots. The ways to create wordings in the play were similar to that in shuo-chang arts. The artists used classic poems and verses as formulae to create improvisational wordings during performances. The skills that the artists used to rearrange plots were also originated from shuo-chang arts. In rearrangements, artist followed the principle of performability, put emphasis on important plots and characters, and maintained the important conversations and poetic rhymes. The old patterns of wordings were commonly used in shuo-chang performances and dramas. This indicates the profound influence of shuo-chang arts on verbal scripts.

Title

Studying the Ethnic Identities of Fujian People and Taiwanese from the Perspective of Taiwanese Opera

汪曉云 WANG,HSIAO-YUN

Abstract

The research on the origin of Taiwanese Opera is an important topic in both Taiwan drama academy and cross-shores drama academy. There are many conflicts about the origin of the Taiwanese Opera in previous researches and documents of field studies. These conflicts result mainly from the facts that researchers took the exact timing, location, and characters as the hallmarks of the origin of operas, and discuss the origin of the perspective of drama patterns. This paper proposes an idea that researchers focus on “happening” rather than “origin,” pointing out that the occurrence of Taiwanese Opera is not only a transformation from ceremonies to art but also the embodiment of ethnic Identities of Fujian and Taiwanese people.

Title

The Passing on of Tale of Leaping Carp in Minnan

吳秀卿 WU,HSIU-CHING

Abstract

The legend of Tale of Leaping Carp emerged when the story of a filial son, Chiang Shih, developed in dramas. The legend was found in anthologies of Minnan dramas during Ming dynasty. This paper further explores the dissemination of Minnan folk dramas.

Title

An Aspect of Folk Drama Exchange between Taiwan and Fujian: The Rise and Fall of “Taiwanese Dramas” from the Period of Japanese Occupation to the Reign of Republic of China

鄭梓CHENG,TZU

Abstract

Taiwan and China have been in a frenemy relationship recently. However, non-governmental interactions have never been cut off due to the geographical, biological and historical factors. During 1920-30s, Taiwanese society stepped into early modernization and started accumulating capital, laying foundation for industry and commerce, promoting culture and education, and developing consumption and recreation. This is the time that drama troupes of Fujian district travelled oversea to Taiwan for performing tours. It is also the peak of interactions between Taiwan and Fujian drama before World War II.  This paper focuses on the oversea interactions and dissemination of Fujian Min drama in 1920s to 30s, and discusses the bilateral exchange of dramas between Taiwan and Fujian. The paper also focuses on the dissemination of the local drama, and explores whether the dramas continue like subterranean flows in chaotic warring days. 

Title

The Same Drama with Different Tunes: Romance of Lychee Mirror during the Drama Reform

黃科安、王偉 HUANG,KE,KO-AN  WANG,WEI

Abstract

During the 1950s, the drama reform that took “reforming performers, system, and drama” as keynote embodied the interpellation of the main ideology on folk arts. The reform aimed to strengthen localized folk arts’ capability of bringing villagers to participate in public affairs, and hence change the folk carnivals of common people into national ceremonies of ethnic community imagination. The modernized rewrite of Romance of Lychee Mirror, a popular play that stayed on stage for 500 years in the cultural circle of Minnan drama, won several awards in officially held “Observation Tour on Hua-Dong District Drama” in 1954. The play then received nominalization of discourse of power in “public performance fields,” emphasizing the representation of identifications in romance between genders. Through Comparing the language gaps between Liyuan art teacher You-ben Tsai’s 22-chapter oral script San Chen and 9-chapter awarded script Romance of Lychee Mirror that derive from Tsai’s work, people not only notice refinery in aesthetic sense but also understand the intertexuality between works and time.

Title

An Analysis on “Outline-Style Plays” in the Late Qin and Early Republic Period: Taking the Library Collections in ChineseNationalAcademy of Arts as an Example

劉文峰 LIU,WEN-FENG

Abstract

There are collections of carving copies of folk drama from the Late Qin and Early Republic Period in Chinese National Academy of Arts. The scripts were not the works of literary people but the “outline-style plays” recorded by booksellers, aiming to serve as reference for audience. Since lyrics altered drastically when the same play was carried out by different actors, the scripts become treasured materials that help us to understand and explore the stage arts at that time and the dissemination of the drama nowadays.

Title

General Introduction to the SurvivalState of Taiwanese Hokkien Private Theatre Troupes in FujianProvince

林瑞武 LIN,JUI-WU

Abstract

This paper bases on the final draft of Research on Survival State of Taiwanese Hokkien Private Theatre Troupes in Fujian Province done by the author and the research team he leads. The paper provides a general introduction of the survival state of three Minnan-language drama troupes: Taiwanese Opera, Gaojia Opera and Teochew Opera. The contents of this paper include: living environment of dramas, the genres and history of dramas, the numbers and distribution of troupes, the establishment and operation management of troupes, the production and performing of plays, the cultivation and flows of talented actors, and varied interactions between troupes, agency, temples, and audiences. The paper also talks about governmental controls over troupes, the subsidiary market of troupes, and the work, life, psychology, emotion, and religion of troupe performers.

Title

The Development of Chinese Drama Troupes in Taiwan During the Period of Japanese Occupation

林鶴宜 LIN,HE,HO-I

Abstract

Not yet available

Title

Oral Performance and Improvisational Characteristics of Taiwanese Glove Puppetry

陳龍廷 CHEN,LUNG-TING

Abstract

Generally speaking, the concept of “scripts” in western dramas does not exist in the art of Taiwanese glove puppetry. This makes the creation of Taiwanese glove puppetry an interesting subject. Since the tradition of living drama long exists in the art, the creation of Taiwanese glove puppetry is not out of organization from the view of improvisation. Starting from the idea of improvisational performance and basing on the research results of the author, this paper tries to clarify the sources of the creativity of these Taiwan folk dramas. It also aims to setup a different aesthetic standard or even bestow value on the art of Taiwanese glove puppetry.  

The backgrounds of improvisational performances vary. However, the Italian Commedia dell’arte in the 16^th century could be viewed as the paragon. Plays in this particular kind of improvisational performance possess characteristics like outlines that allow plots-adding as required, and very few types of characters in each play. In the plays, actors are the core of the performance, and same roles are appointed to the same actors. 

This paper aims to understand the features of protagonist-focused performance through analyzing data of Taiwanese glove puppetry, and taking improvisational elements like actors, plot outlines and characters to be the center of discussions.

Title

Status and Contributions of Scenario Drama in the Development of Dramas

姚溪山 YAO,CHI-SHAN

Abstract

This paper discusses the performing patterns of scenario drama, the spreading of the drama among Zhangzhou district in the 1930s, the preference of the audience, and the ways the above factors help to promote drama performance.

Title

Improvisational Performance and Fixed Writing of Huo Xi (Living Drama)

劉南芳 Nan-Fang Liu  LIU,NA-FANG(威妥瑪)

Abstract

Although Huo Xi (Living Drama) is an improvisational performance, the libretto or lines of performers tend to become fixed after a drama is repeatedly performed. During the era of Taiwanese opera, in consideration of the quality of performance, scenario tellers would use fixed libretto or lines in many important performances. As a result, Huo Xi became “semi-Huo Xi.” Such fixed writing is not exactly the same as the “Fu Zi (fixed lines)” or “Xi Chuang (Drama Introduction)” used in outline-style plays in Mainland China because the performance content of Taiwanese opera in commercial theaters is complicated and versatile. This study attempts to investigate the causes of the rise of fixed writing in the improvisational performance of contemporary Huo Xi, including the process how Huo Xi and screenplay drama affect each other and the possibility of the transfer of oral literature and written literature.

Title

Oral Formulae of Traditional “Fu Zi” (賦子)

沈勇 CHEN,YUNG

Abstract

The cores of on-stage creation of traditional scenario dramas are the borrowing of “rou zi” (肉子) and “fu zi.” These achievements came from the wisdom of generations of performers and audience, and were passed on orally. They help the later generations to perform a specific plot with better accuracy and convenience. They have become a standardized criterion that may serve as reference in description of scenes, and the introduction of characters’ identities and emotions. American scholar Milman Parry defines formula as “a group of words which is regularly employed under the same metrical conditions to express a given essential idea.” According to such definition, “rou zi” and “fu zi” are essentially formulae. Studying the setting standards and applying principles of “rou zi” and “fu zi” would help us to better understand scenario drama, creation of actors, and the narrating methods of folk art.

Title

Dialectical Thinking of “Living Words” (活詞) and “Dead Words”(死詞) : Discussion on the Features of Folk Narrative of Scenario Drama

吉莉 CHI,LI

Abstract

Folk narrative possesses narrating methods which correspond to that of literati narrative. Folk narrative is a narrative independent of mainstream ideologies and differs from elite culture. This paper studies Cǎichang drama (踩場戲), Daofen drama(倒糞戲), and living words drama. The paper argues that the features of the folk narrative of scenario drama include belittling plots and improvisation.

Title

Modernization and Popular Culture of Theatrical Markets: Taking Takarazuka Revue Company and Yi-Xia Opera Troupes for Examples

細井尚子 HOSOI NAOKO

Abstract

Due to the influence of western cultures, the mass drama market of Japan developed into various new forms during the stage of modernization. Takarazuka Revue Company, a company that will enjoy its 100^th anniversary in 2014, is not only one of the newly developed forms but also the only one surviving today. This paper will talk about its position in Japanese society and the history of Japanese drama. Also, it will talk about Yi-Shya Musical Theater Troupe, a troupe valued as “Taiwanese Takarazuka,” and its function in the society and mass culture of Taiwan. Lastly, the author will compare the functions of Yi-Shya and Takarazuka, and list out the features of and differences between Taiwanese and Japanese societies.

Title

On-screen and Off-screen: Discussion on the Cross-border Interpretation of Classical Drama—Taking the Film “Flying Dragon, Dancing Phoenix” as an Example

呂俐瑩 HSU,SHU-CHUAN

Abstract

In the past two decades, many classical dramas have developed toward exquisite forms. Further, they were even adapted into and performed as cross-cultural or cross-genre dramas. Under the circumstances, the word "classical" underwent reinterpretation, and the word "drama" also fused with new elements. Creations and experiments basing on theories and practices of western dramas as well as symbols and signs of literature and arts transformed the development and passing on of classical dramas.

“Flying Dragon, Dancing Phoenix” was a movie screened in Taiwan on January 13^th, 2012. It tells the story of a Taiwanese Opera troupe. The performing field and local customs presented in this movie reflect the history of Taiwanese Opera, while play lists in the movie and intertextuality between play plots indicate the culture and characteristics of Taiwanese Opera. What is more interesting is that the movie uses fables and metaphors to discuss the nature of performing art as well as the diverse developments and possibility of Taiwanese Opera. 

This paper does the textual interpretation of “Flying Dragon, Dancing Phoenix,” and explores the ways classical dramas combine with diverse forms of art to achieve cross-media representation. It further talks about the energy produced by cross-border interpretations, and effects that the energy brings to the entity and position of classical drama.

Title

Innovation and Transformation: The Crossover Learning of Minnan Drama

余淑娟 YU,SHU-CHUAN

Abstract

The term “crossover” in English refers to transformation in external styles or types. It usually indicates that the doer possesses advanced attitude toward life and different aesthetic values. In the development history of Singaporean drama, Minnan drama troupes often imitated various kinds of drama, movie or performances to strengthen themselves, increase play lists or diversify acting styles. This paper views this crossover learning of Minnan drama in Singapore as a result of cultural integrations in a multicultural society. It is this crossover learning that provides Minnan drama with life and unfailing powers. This paper tries to talk about the transplantation of Minnan drama in Singapore and the living environment of local dramas on the basis of data from field investigations and interviewing results of oral history. 

Title

“Living Words Drama” (活詞戲) and Its Contemporary Dissemination

馬紫晨 MA,TZU-CHEN

Abstract

While “scenario systems” correspond with “scripting system,” “living words drama” comes from “scenario drama” and “outline drama.” A “scripted” play is commonly called “dead words drama” in China. Many “living words dramas” were originally closely related to people’s life due to the long term polishing of drama performers. However, a number of these plays turned into “dead words drama” after the adjustments and processing of literati. For the past millennium, drama creations in China were always following the rule that “dead words drama” belonged to the upper classes and “living word” the common. As a result, it is hard to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the two. In sum, though “scripting system” replaced the “scenario system” 60 years ago, the replacement could not be treated as the trend of development in arts. The reason is that, 30 years after the replacement, drama troupes restructured and dissembled due to open economy. The change made outdoor traditional drama of folks once again become the mainstream of village performing markets. The author argues that the creation of drama plots is what leads to the victory of outdoor dramas. In other words, “living words drama” under “scenario system” made non-governmental performances defeat that of governmental since the audiences went to dramas mainly for entertainments. Also, the education of folks relies on gradual and imperceptible influence rather than direct implantations.  

Title

Modernists’ Attempt at Re-embodying the Ephemeral Orality in Print: Virginia Woolf, Gertrude Stein and Samuel Beckett

李信螢 LI,HSIN-YING

Abstract

This paper will explore the dialectic relationship between the print and oral traditions embodied in three high modernists’ writing: Virginia Woolf’s The Waves (1931),  Gertrude Stein’s The Making of Americans, Samuel Beckett’s Trilogy  (1959). Being contemporary with the booming of new print technology and culture – newspapers, photography, pulp fictions, radio, cinema -  at the beginning of the twentieth century, the Modernism have been largely thought to be a movement of supreme print culture. In other words, Modernism a cultural movement that, in the Frankfurt School thinker Walter Benjamin’s words, capitalizes on the technology of ‘mechanical reproduction’. The much-criticized archaic and experimental play with print seen in most of the modernist writers’ work seems to testify this accusation. However, this paper argues the contrary: Modernists, being aware of the unprecedented mass culture around them, are enabling narrative technologies in an attempt to create a dialectic dialogue between a literate society whose historical consciousness is shaped and produced by the print and a possible oral culture whose sense of history is always immediate and in situ.

This paper will demonstrate this dialectic and seemingly paradoxical relationship by looking at three high modernists’ seemingly unreadable works. All three authors in their writing career, unlike their contemporaries – Ezra Pound, T. S. Eliot, James Joyce – gradually removed, from their narrative works, the paratextual devices that are intrinsic to and characteristic of the print culture. Punctuation, chapter division, character speech tags, and even the units of paragraphs and sentences are done without. In terms textual and narrative devices, these three works are mainly joined together by additive conjunction ‘ands’. The result of which produces a seemingly unreadable text which largely repeats some aggregative phrases that are characteristics of an oral tradition. ‘To all the other Hissen men and women Martha was a good woman, and she was a good friend to them but she was not really pleasing’ (Stein 1927, 77). Yet, these texts are seemingly ‘unreadable’ but not ‘unlistenable’. In doing so, this paper argues, Woolf, Stein and Beckett have created, in print, a narrative environment that the readers are plunged into an intimate and immediate conversation between several characters. And with this textual effect, this paper argue that the readers are made aware of the way in which their sense of events, stories and history are mediated by a print culture in which they are always a bystander. Thus, this paper proposes that, situating in a deeply print culture where thoughts are registered and produced mainly through the reproductive technology,  some Modernist writers deployed the narrative techniques essential for an oral culture to make the act of reading the printed words once again, in Walter Ong’s theorization,  ‘occurences, events’ (Ong 1982, 31).