The World of a Tiny Insect : A Memoir of the Taiping Rebellion and Its Aftermath

Trans. by Xiamfei Tian "From the cry of a tiny insect, one can hear the sound of a vast world. . . ." So begins Zhang Daye’s preface to The World of a Tiny Insect , his haunting memoir of war and its aftermath. In 1861, when China’s devastating Taiping rebellion began, Zhang was seven years old. The Taiping rebel army occupied Shaoxing, his hometown, and for the next two years, he hid from Taiping soldiers, local bandits, and imperial troops and witnessed gruesome scenes of violence and death. He lost friends and family and nearly died himself from starvation, illness, and encounters with soldiers on a rampage. Written thirty years later, The World of a Tiny Insect gives voice to this history. A rare premodern Chinese literary work depicting a child’s perspective, Zhang’s sophisticated text captures the macabre images, paranoia, and emotional excess that defined his wartime experience and echoed through his adult life. The structure, content, and imagery of The World of a Tiny Insect offer a carefully constructed, fragmented narrative that skips in time and probes the relationships between trauma and memory, revealing both history and its psychic impact. Xiaofei Tian’s annotated translation includes an introduction that situates The World of a Tiny Insect in Chinese history and literature and explores the relevance of the book to the workings of traumatic memory. From The Cry Of A Tiny Insect, One Can Hear The Sound Of A Vast World. So Begins Zhang Daye's Preface To The World Of A Tiny Insect, His Haunting Memoir Of War And Its Aftermath. In 1861, When China's Devastating Taiping Rebellion Began, Zhang Was Seven Years Old. The Taiping Rebel Army Occupied Shaoxing, His Hometown, And For The Next Two Years, He Hid From Taiping Soldiers, Local Bandits, And Imperial Troops And Witnessed Gruesome Scenes Of Violence And Death. He Lost Friends And Family And Nearly Died Himself From Starvation, Illness, And Encounters With Soldiers On Rampages.written Thirty Years Later, The World Of A Tiny Insect Gives Voice To This History. A Rare Premodern Chinese Literary Work Depicting A Child's Perspective, Zhang's Sophisticated Text Captures The Macabre Images, Paranoia, And Emotional Excess That Defined His Wartime Experience And Echoed Throughout His Adult Life.^ The Structure, Content, And Imagery Of The World Of A Tiny Insect Reveals A Carefully Crafted, Fragmented Narrative That Skips In Time And Probes The Relationships Between Trauma And Memory, Revealing Both History And Its Psychic Impact. Xiaofei Tian's Annotated Translation Includes An Introduction That Situates The World Of A Tiny Insect In Chinese History And Literature And Explores The Relevance Of The Book To The Workings Of Traumatic Memory. Zhang Daye (b. 1854) Is Known Only As The Author Of The World Of A Tiny Insect. Xiaofei Tian Is Professor Of Chinese Literature At Harvard University. Among Her Recent Publications Is Visionary Journeys: Travel Writings From Early Medieval And Nineteenth-century China.the Author And Narrator Recounts His Terrible Experiences And Miraculous Survivals With A Child's Curiosity And In A Vivid, Straightforward Way. But He Also Embeds What Happened To Him In A Larger Historical, Philosophical, Moral, And Aesthetic Context.^ No Comparable Primary Source Available In English Does Anything Like This For The Taiping Rebellion. --judith Zeitlin, University Of Chicago-- Machine Generated Contents Note: Pt. 1 Trip To Tiantai -- An Account Of Taizhou Prefecture -- The Six Counties Of Taizhou -- The One-headed Woman At Huangyan -- Ten Poems On Xianju -- The Birds Of Xianju -- Pt. 2 Birth And Early Childhood -- On The Run: 1861 -- 1863 -- Flames Of War, Ghost Troops, And Other Strange Happenings -- Epidemic, Greed, And The Woman Dismembered At Lu's Dyke -- The Occupation Of Shaoxing And Its Aftermath -- Edible Flora And Fauna -- The Pleasures And Horrors Of Childhood -- Narrow Escapes On Water -- Reunion With Father And Father's Death -- Pt. 3 The Nian Uprising -- The Assassination Of Governor Ma Xinyi -- Remembering Cousin Xuequan -- Travels For Livelihood After Father's Death -- Trip To Shaoxing For Father's Burial -- Return To Yuanjiang -- Trip To Hangzhou -- Sojourn At Songjiang -- Sojourn At Suzhou -- Trips To Hangzhou, Shaoxing, And Xianju -- Friends At Xianju -- The Bandits Of Xianju -- Chronology. Zhang Daye ; Translated, With An Introduction, By Xiaofei Tian. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. ""From the cry of a tiny insect, one can hear the sound of a vast world. "So begins Zhang Daye's preface to The World of a Tiny Insect, his haunting memoir of war and its aftermath. In 1861, when China's devastating Taiping rebellion began, Zhang was seven years old. The Taiping rebel army occupied Shaoxing, his hometown, and for the next two years, he hid from Taiping soldiers, local bandits, and imperial troops and witnessed gruesome scenes of violence and death. He lost friends and family and nearly died himself from starvation, illness, and encounters with soldiers on rampages. Written thirty years later, The World of a Tiny Insect gives voice to this history. A rare premodern Chinese literary work depicting a child's perspective, Zhang's sophisticated text captures the macabre images, paranoia, and emotional excess that defined his wartime experience and echoed throughout his adult life. The structure, content, and imagery of The World of a Tiny Insect reveals a carefully crafted, fragmented narrative that skips in time and probes the relationships between trauma and memory, revealing both history and its psychic impact. Xiaofei Tian's annotated translation includes an introduction that situates The World of a Tiny Insect in Chinese history and literature and explores the relevance of the book to the workings of traumatic memory. Zhang Daye (b. 1854) is known only as the author of The World of a Tiny Insect. Xiaofei Tian is professor of Chinese literature at Harvard University. Among her recent publications is Visionary Journeys: Travel Writings from Early Medieval and Nineteenth-Century China."The author and narrator recounts his terrible experiences and miraculous survivals with a child's curiosity and in a vivid, straightforward way. But he also embeds what happened to him in a larger historical, philosophical, moral, and aesthetic context. No comparable primary source available in English does anything like this for the Taiping Rebellion."--Judith Zeitlin, University of Chicago"-- Provided by publisher Contents 6 Acknowledgments 8 Map of Author’s Travels 11 Translator’s Introduction 12 Preface by Zhang Daye 44 Part 1. 46 Trip to Tiantai 46 An Account of Taizhou Prefecture 69 The Six Counties of Taizhou 71 The “One-Headed Woman” at Huangyan 76 Ten Poems on Xianju 78 The Birds of Xianju 85 Part 2. 88 Birth and Early Childhood 89 On the Run: 1861–1863 90 “Flames of War,” Ghost Troops, and Other Strange Happenings 102 Epidemic, Greed, and the Woman Dismembered at Lu’s Dyke 105 The Occupation of Shaoxing and Its Aftermath 106 Edible Flora and Fauna 107 The Pleasures and Horrors of Childhood 109 Narrow Escapes on Water 112 Reunion with Father and Father’s Death 115 Part 3. 118 The Nian Uprising 118 The Assassination of Governor Ma Xinyi 123 Remembering Cousin Xuequan 125 Travels for Livelihood after Father’s Death 129 Trip to Shaoxing for Father’s Burial 134 Return to Yuanjiang 146 Trip to Hangzhou 152 Sojourn at Songjiang 153 Sojourn at Suzhou 154 Trips to Hangzhou, Shaoxing, and Xianju 168 Friends at Xianju 174 The Bandits of Xianju 178 Chronology 186 Appendix: A List of the Author’s Connections 190 Works Cited 194 Index 198