Remembering Nanking: historical reconstructions and literary memorializations of the Nanking Massacre

Abstract

The Nanking Massacre is a historical event that invokes many contestations and tensions, as the recollection of what took place in Nanking during the six weeks from December 1937 to February 1938 is always under the influence of political circumstances and ideologies. This article explores the contemporary historical narratives and fictional representations of the Nanking Massacre to see how it has been remembered. The article mainly addresses North American academic debates over the Nanking massacre, and analyzes three novels by immigrant Chinese American authors, Qi Shouhua's When the Purple Mountain Burns, Ha Jin's Nanjing Requiem, and Yan Geling's The Flowers of War.