Collective Memory, Cultural Trauma : A Study on the Narrative of Taiwan White Terror from the ‘Detention’ Series
집체기억・문화창상 ― 종《반교》계렬담태만적백색공포서사
2017年初,台灣電遊《返校:detention》在全球遊戲平臺上綫,隨即熱銷廣受矚 目。此遊戲以中學校園讀書會成員遭構陷入罪的情節為主幹,指涉台灣自50年代開始長達 近40年的白色恐怖歷史。此歷史長期受壓抑,遲至90年代才逐漸浮現,但因政治因素導致 真相隱晦難明。2016年,台灣‘轉型正義工程’正式展開,此現象才有所轉變。而在文學 領域,受制于長期的記憶宰制,文本多呈現‘迷態敘事’特質,即内容斷裂、不明所以、 表述閃爍其詞,這與台灣大衆對該歷史的關注程度一直呈現‘低溫稀薄’現象應有關聯。 電遊《返校》之後,此現象有大幅轉變,隨後的同名電影和影集的上映更擴大了其影響 面。筆者認爲,《返校》系列建構了台灣白色恐怖的集體記憶。本研究以集體記憶、文化 創傷等概念,觀察白色恐怖歷史在此前不同形態的敘事中如何被建構、呈現,《返校》系列又以何種新的形態來呈現該記憶,及賦予其何種意義。
2017, Red Candle Games released a game called ‘Detention’ in the global gaming platform, ranking number three in sales in just one month. In the game lies a fictional story about members of a school book club who were framed in the 60's under the Martial Law. It based on the historical event called the White Terror throughout the 50’s to the 80’s. White Terror had been a taboo in Taiwan for years, making the investigation of the event, damage, and accountability for a prolonged period of time. Since the termination of the Martial Law in 1987, the restoration of the forbidden history was commenced. Especially since 2016, Transitional Justice has become the core government policy, allowing the creation and execution of many policies in multiple aspects, such as fact-finding, restoration of records, rewriting history, compensation, and redemption of honor. Moreover, since the termination of the Martial Law, literature and personal biography based on the White Terror were created in the private sector. Nevertheless, it did not attract the attention of the general public. However, the release of ‘Detention’ has brought signs of change. ‘Detention’ grabbed the attention of teenagers who were distant with the history that happened 70 years ago. From the beginning of the release of the game, it has stirred up the internet and social media. In 2019, the game was made into a movie ‘Detention’. In addition, in December of 2020, ‘Detention’ made into a eight-series show. This is expected to create a collective memory of the White Terror in Taiwan. This study aims to find out how the White Terror in Taiwan is shown in various forms of narratives, using related concepts such as Assmann’s ‘Collective Memory’ and ‘Traumatic History’. Also, this study analyzes the new form of White Terror narrative of ‘Detention’ series.