The Concept of the Land and the Construction of National Identity : Teaching American Literature to Students in Taiwan

The Concept of the Land and the Construction of National Identity : Teaching American Literature to Students in Taiwan

The national identity of the people in Taiwan has long been a hot debate topic, especially after the lifting of martial law in 1987 and the vigorous exercise of the freedom of speech since. Centering on the concept of belonging to the land in the study of American literature, my teaching an elective course, "Modern American Literature" for senior students in the English Department at Soochow University in Taipei, Taiwan, tries to help the students better understand the texts by relating what they read to the controversial construction of national identity in Taiwan. Focusing by turns on American history and literature associated with the early immigrants from England, the establishment of the nation, the westward movement, the sense of homelessness and the sense of belonging, the rising power of ethnic groups, and the participation of the new immigrants, the students may examine the controversy in Taiwan from a different perspective.