Trauma and Truth: Representations of Madness in Chinese Literature

Birgit LINDER

doi:10.1007/s10912-011-9149-1

Trauma and Truth

Representations of Madness in Chinese Literature

Birgit LINDER^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Journal Publications › Journal Article (refereed) › Research › peer-review

2 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

With only a few exceptions, the literary theme of madness has long been a domain of Western cultural studies. Much of Western writing represents madness as an inquiry into the deepest recesses of the mind, while the comparatively scarce Chinese tradition is generally defined by madness as a voice of social truth. This paper looks at five works of twentieth-century Chinese fiction that draw on socio-somatic aspects of madness to reflect upon social truths, suggesting that the inner voice of subjectivity is perhaps not the only true voice of the self.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	291-303
Number of pages	13
Journal	Journal of Medical Humanities
Volume	32
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s10912-011-9149-1
Publication status	Published - Dec 2011
Externally published	Yes

Fingerprint

trauma

Wounds and Injuries

cultural studies

subjectivity

twentieth century

literature

Keywords

Chinese literature
Madness
Social insight
Trauma fiction

Cite this

LINDER, B. (2011). Trauma and Truth: Representations of Madness in Chinese Literature. Journal of Medical Humanities, 32(4), 291-303. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10912-011-9149-1

LINDER, Birgit. / Trauma and Truth : Representations of Madness in Chinese Literature. In: Journal of Medical Humanities. 2011 ; Vol. 32, No. 4. pp. 291-303.

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LINDER, B 2011, 'Trauma and Truth: Representations of Madness in Chinese Literature', Journal of Medical Humanities, vol. 32, no. 4, pp. 291-303. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10912-011-9149-1

Trauma and Truth : Representations of Madness in Chinese Literature. / LINDER, Birgit.

In: Journal of Medical Humanities, Vol. 32, No. 4, 12.2011, p. 291-303.

Research output: Journal Publications › Journal Article (refereed) › Research › peer-review

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