Censorship in a Chinese Publishing Context: Catalyst or Curtailment? A Case Study Involving Jung Chang’s Wild Swans
Ellie Reedy
Abstract
The purpose of this journal article is to critically analyse censorship theories in relation to modern publishing and book history studies. The emphasis will be on censorship in relation to modern China, and the way in which Chinese writers are restricted in an age which places huge prominence on the importance of freedom of speech. The methodology focuses on a case study examining Jung Chan's Wild Swans (1991) which exemplifies the way in which the Chinese government has censored material revealing life under, and since, the Mao Communist regime. This family history details the lives of three generations of women in Chan's family, including the author, throughout the 20th century, and is a significant example of the sorts of issues encountered by Chinese writers wishing to tell their stories.
Ellie Reedy
Abstract
The purpose of this journal article is to critically analyse censorship theories in relation to modern publishing and book history studies. The emphasis will be on censorship in relation to modern China, and the way in which Chinese writers are restricted in an age which places huge prominence on the importance of freedom of speech. The methodology focuses on a case study examining Jung Chan's Wild Swans (1991) which exemplifies the way in which the Chinese government has censored material revealing life under, and since, the Mao Communist regime. This family history details the lives of three generations of women in Chan's family, including the author, throughout the 20th century, and is a significant example of the sorts of issues encountered by Chinese writers wishing to tell their stories.
