Existentialism, the prevailing philosophical belief in 20th century Europe, focuses on the “human individual” as its central tenet. This is depicted in literary works through the portrayal of spiritual loneliness and anxiety, revealing the absurdity and irrationality of the world. Existentialism also explores various “modes of being” such as alienation, emptiness, anxiety, absurdity, death, and the death of God.1

Around the world, authors and their literary lenses are influenced by factors including political backgrounds, social environments, cultural milieu, and personal experiences unique to the individual author. All of these result in different emphases in the manifestation of existentialism in literature.

Post-1980 ‘scar literature’

In Singapore, the 1980s wrought significant upheavals for Chinese-language writers. They faced difficulties such as the closure of Nanyang University (Nantah) and Chinese-medium schools, resulting in predicaments in life. Such spiritual and mental shock led to the emergence of “scar literature” in the 1980s and 1990s.2 These works depict the spirit of the times from a range of narrative perspectives; the literary works spotlight the absurdity of reality, and the alienation and existential anxiety of individuals. Representative works include Ren mu zhi (Jen Mu Chi) by Teo Hee La, Jing you ci shi (This Thing Called Jing) by Liang Wern Fook, and Shanghen jing bu yu (The Injuries Needing Repair) by Xi Ni Er (Chia Hwee Pheng). Portraying the isolation endured by the Chinese-educated community amidst socio-political upheavals, these scar literature stories exemplified the characteristics of existentialist literature.

Yeng Pway Ngon’s short stories

Among the most prominent works of existentialist literature in Singapore’s Chinese literary scene are the short stories by Yeng Pway Ngon (1947–2021), including Bai niao (White Bird), Bu cunzai de qingren (The Non-existent Lover) and Ji cuo de youjian (Misdirected Mail). Notably, the theme of “otherness” is prevalent in Bai niao (White Bird), widely believed to be influenced by German-language author Franz Kafka’s (1883–1924) The Metamorphosis, a representative work of existentialism. Bu cunzai de qingren (The Non-Existent Lover) is studied by junior college students in Singapore as part of their Chinese Language and Literature curriculum. The story features a first-person narrator who creates Pei Pei, a fictional character for a radio drama, only to find Pei Pei materialise in the narrator’s world. Pei Pei insists on whisking the narrator away as she believes that neither the narrator nor his artistic creations belong in the real world; and true life can only be embraced by leaving reality behind. Similarly, the desire to escape reality is portrayed in Ji cuo de youjian (Misdirected Mail), where the first-person narrator “longed to leave this hellhole” and “must leave before losing (his) sanity”.3 The narrator visits a post office, affixes a stamp on his forehead, and attempts to mail himself to America, but is taken to a mental hospital instead. Collectively, Yeng Pway Ngon’s short story collection encapsulates French existentialist philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre’s (1905–1980) concept of “existence precedes essence”, emphasising the individual’s freedom of consciousness and the determination to strive for freedom of choice in order to manifest one’s true existence.

Cover of Bu cunzai de qingren (The Non-Existent Lover), a collection of short stories by Yeng Pway Ngon, published in 2014. Courtesy of Lingzi Media.

Existentialism in other works

Toh Lam Huat is another Singaporean Chinese writer whose works were influenced by existentialist philosophy. He revealed in a previous interview that his early worldview was shaped by existentialism.4 This is evident in his novel Boli shijie (A Glass World), which explores aspects of existentialist philosophy that include Sartre’s concept of “being-for-itself” as the mode of existence of consciousness of the self, and “hell is other people”.

Research on existentialist literature in Singapore Chinese literature is still at a nascent stage. It primarily consists of standalone critiques and reviews, with much of the discussion focused on Yeng Pway Ngon’s works. However, existentialism is far from outdated or irrelevant in the Singaporean Chinese literary scene. Singaporean Chinese authors continue to experiment with existentialist concepts in their literary works, even in recent years. For instance, Moh Lee Fair’s 2020 novel, Hua (The Painting), portrays a depressed, down-on-his-luck painter who loses dignity and meaning in life, eventually retreating into a painting in search of utopia. Likewise, Neo Hai Bin’s 2021 collection of short stories, Dahai de ren (The People of the Sea) explores existentialism through various narratives. His short story, Shenhai li de micheng (The Underwater Lost City), interrogates the existence of the city and the self through the imagery of being “lost”.

Most of the Singaporean Chinese narrative fiction discussed above utilise exaggeration and absurdity which are characteristic of existentialist literature. Yet it is the symbolic meaning that lies beyond the writing techniques that deserves more attention, along with the notions of tensions and contradictions between “human” and “spaces of existence” that the authors seek to reveal.