Portraits in White - 9780231220101

Columbia University Press

Portraits in WhiteAuthor(s): Kaori Lai, James Lin, Sylvia Lin, Howard Goldblatt\nFormat: Paperback\nPublisher: Columbia University Press, United States\nImprint: Columbia University Press\nISBN-13: 9780231220101, 978-0231220101\nSynopsis\nAfter the Chinese Civil War, the Kuomintang imposed authoritarian rule on Taiwan in the name of anticommunism. The White Terror, as martial law and state repression were known, would last for decades, casting a pall of uncertainty and fear over Taiwanese societyand its legacies still haunt Taiwan today. Kaori Lais Portraits in White explores everyday life under the White Terror, illuminating how the violence of martial law pervades even the most mundane moments.\n\nThe book is composed of three novellas, each telling the story of an ordinary person. Mr. Ching-chih, a schoolteacher, keeps his head down and avoids harming others despite pressure to do intelligence work. Ms. Wen-hui, an old woman who had served as a housekeeper for elites of different .