• Introduction
  • Growth process
  • Ideas and Insistences
  • Frustrations
  • Old age
  • Chronology
• Contributions
  • Works
  • Social movement
• Life details
  • Associates
    • Inviting Yang Jian
    • Interviewing Yang Cui
  • Reports
• Visits
  • Itinerary
  • Surrounding
    • International artistic street
    • Tunghai University
    • Tunghai district
• Rescuing Tunghai Garden
  • Local discription
    • Land information
    • Government expression
  • Action
    • Yang Kui Literature Memorial Museum
    • Yang Kui's Literary Road
    • Investigate
    • Petition Signing
    • Filming
    • Facebook Page
    • Commemoration
  • Our action
  • Related essay
  • Related videos
• Bibliography
• Q&A

• Introduction
• Narrative
• Impressions
• Bibliography

Works

Yang Kui's works covered a wide range of types which include novels, prose, dramas and interpretations. The thoughts he wanted to convey through his works were the attitude of not giving up and his concern toward the bitterness of people. Yang Kui devoted himself to fighting against tyranny and violence throughout his life. His novels expressed his passion, perseverance, and his care to the society. He was therefore named as “Taiwan's Conscience” and ”The Rose never Squashed”.

The reason why Yang Kui put so much effort on writing was that he hoped through the publication of literary creations, some problems of the society could be seen or even be solved. Here are some introductions of some of his masterpieces:

Novel

1. The Newsy

The story mainly described a Taiwanese youth Yang. His father died of depression after his land was occupied by the company supported by Japanese government. Therefore, he was forced to go to Tokyo alone working as a newsboy to make money. However, he was later deceived and exploited by the owner of the newspaper he worked for. Witnessing the drawback of the capitalism, he followed the strike of all newsboys. Then, he resolutely decided to go back Taiwan with the experiences he learned from the protest. “The Newsy” was a novel written in Japanese according to the occurrence when he worked part time in Japan. It was selected as the second prize of “Literary Criticism” Tokyo (there was no first prize that year). This was the first time Taiwanese writer was able to access Japanese central literary circle. However, the book was banned in Taiwan.

Although “The Newsy” was the first novel of Yang Kui, the thoughts and perseverance in it was what he carried out throughout his life.

2. Spring that Can' t Be Caged

“……I bent down and saw a rose being pressed under a rock. Although it was pressed tightly under the rock, its branch still stretched out from the small break. There is even a bud with the size of a thumb…….It gave me an inspiration that spring can't be caged……Symbolizing the heart of Taiwanese under the suppression of Japanese military leader.” This is a small part in “Spring Can't Be Caged”, and Yang Kui's life has also become the symbol of “the heart of Taiwanese under the suppression of Japanese military government.”

In 1976, when Yang Kui was 71 years old, this article was included in the Chinese textbook of junior high school in Taiwan. This was the first time Taiwanese literary works being compiled into official education.

Essay

1.Mother Goose is Going to Get Married

The president of the hospital was making a big deal with the geese owner, but he asked to get “Mother Goose” as a present. The baby geese were so reluctant that the owner couldn't bear to separate them. Therefore, the president of the hospital refused make the deal. At last, the owner realized that he had to send the Mother Goose to the president no matter how, so the deal was accomplished as a result. This is the story of “Mother Goose is Going to Get Married”. In the story, “Mother Goose” represents the Taiwanese, who was exploited by the Japanese and has no power to resist.

Letter

These home letters were written from 1957 to 1960, when Yang Kui was put in jail in Green Island.

The feelings of the political prisoners who was kept behind bars couldn' t be understood easily by people outside. The words written in these “Green Island Home Letters” clearly expressed a father's love toward his son and the deep affection between husband and wife. Although Yang Kui was in Green Island, his heart was still full of his affection to his family.

However, most of these letters could not be sent at that time due to the limitations within the jail. However, Yang Kui never quit writing and his son finally could see these letters many years later, when Yang had passed away. However, his children eventually learned how much his father loved him and forgot Yang Kui's absence for 12 years.