Conclusion

The conclusion reexamines colonialism as the defining feature of Taiwan’s history and identity. It shifts the focus to the wider global domain to explore the shared colonial experience and to establish commonalities in regions across the world. The worlding exercise begins by repositioning Taiwan to examine the implications for Taiwanese literature as a part of postcolonial world literature. The chapter then turns to the lingering effects of the colonial legacy, for instance, the loyalty to the ancien régime that makes integration difficult. The spectrum of identity change is a further part of the legacy. Identity change is repeated across the globe and suggests a universal aesthetic that traverses international boundaries. The worlding exercise affirms the origin of the Chinese–Taiwanese binary and the need for reconciliation with the national past.