Queer Identity through the Dismantling of Gender and Self

A Study of Qiu MiaoJin's Last Words of Montmartre, Notes of a Crocodile, and "Platonic Hair"

Abstract

Qiu Miaojin (1969–1995) is a Taiwanese author recognized for kickstarting the Ku’er literary movement in Taiwan. They are best known for their works that focus on the exploration of identity and homosexual love, largely set in a post–martial law era of Taiwan, bringing about a revolutionary perspective for their time. Their debut novel, Notes of a Crocodile (trans. by Bonnie Hue), the semi-autobiographical novel Last Words from Montmartre (trans. by Ari Larissa Heinrich), and one of their most well-known short stories, “Platonic Hair” (trans. by Fran Martin), have been chosen for this study. The essay aims to study the use of gender expression, identity, and body imagery within these works, and goes on to examine the depiction of violence as a way to articulate queer love. This paper argues that Qiu’s depiction of queer identity through these aforementioned facets is influential in shaping the literary landscape of Chinese-language literature and the onset of the Ku’er movement.