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Romantic semblance and prohibitive presence: Green Forest, My Home as a case‐study of Taiwan’s Occidental myth and its discontents

Abstract In postcolonial Taiwan, although Taiwan‐centric consciousness is the dominant discourse, it does not exclude but often conforms to transnational capitalism. Nativism and globalism combined form a powerful hegemony. Taiwanese television ‘idol dramas’ endorse the status quo, justifying and propagating desire for the Occident; yet such idealization of the West cannot fully silence skepticism and aversion. This paper examines Green Forest, My Home (2005), to explore the Occidental myth and its discontents. In binary opposition, (quasi‐)Westerners are portrayed as rich, beautiful, and refined; locals as malicious, simple, or ludicrous. Race is conflated with one’s socioeconomic and cultural status, one’s language, and one’s moral standing. Frustration and resentment are projected onto the minor roles played by authentic Westerners: authoritative yet anti‐romantic, they represent the West with negative connotations. The drama’s double‐faced portrayal of Westerners betrays a profound ambivalence toward the self and the Western other.