Multiple Viewpoints under Colonialism: Sata Ineko ＂Travel in Taiwan＂(1943-1944)

The Japanese proletariat writer Sata Ineko(1904-1998), is known for her attentiveness to questions of class and gender through social critique in the form of creative writings. Her ＂Travel in Taiwan＂ emerged out of an invitation by Japan News Press to visit Taiwan in 1942. The four essays of the collection record as well as reflect the situation of Taiwan the colony from the perspective of social welfare. Apart from bringing reflections on imperial invasions, its recognition of class and gender also impacted the situation and affections of the Japanese living in Taiwan. This article examines the phenomenon of writing in ＂Travel in Taiwan＂ from the viewpoint of colonial consciousness, the imperial reflections on Taiwan's industrialization and imperialization, and issues on class and gender. It concerns how Ineko's attentiveness to class and gender and her involvement in army recuitment have demonstrated a sense of tension, opposition and contemplation. Yet in ＂Travel in Taiwan,＂ Ineko's final claim of humanism, though echoing the author's claim of proletarian writing, possibly reduces its critique of colonial reality. Such sympathetic writings with public values cannot but being intervened or interfered by imperial colonialism. The conflict between sympatheric public writings and nationalism hence constitute a major tension in the writings on Taiwan in ＂Travel in Taiwan.＂佐多稻子（サタ イネコ，sata ineko, 1904-1998）為日本無產階級作家同盟之成員，作品多關懷社會階級與女性角色等問題，藉文學創作以批判社會現實，曾於1942年受日本新聞社之邀，前來臺灣旅行，而有紀錄旅行過程的〈台灣之旅(1943-1944)四篇散文，以其關懷社會弱勢階級的立場，觀察及反省殖民地臺灣的現象，除了帝國侵略之反省外，亦因階級與性別的認知觸及了當時來臺生活的日本人處境與情感。本文以殖民意識之角度分析佐多稻子四篇系列作品的書寫現象，其於作品中提出當時臺灣的工業化與皇民化等帝國殖民之反省外，亦包含階級與性別等關懷，觀察角度多元，本文關注的是，佐多稻子以其對階級與性別的關注立場，卻參與戰爭動員協力，此一現象，實已展現某種對立與反省，而於〈台灣之旅〉實際書寫中，最終歸結於人道關懷，雖呼應了作者普羅文學的主張，然而，值得注意的是，此一終極關懷卻可能削弱了殖民現實的批判性，亦即溫情關懷之寫作，雖具有普遍價值，卻亦難以擺脫帝國殖民的干擾或介入。有關普羅大眾的溫情關注與家國意識的血緣糾葛，彼此的矛盾衝突亦在這些書寫臺灣的文字中展現