Introductory Text

The Journey of Self-discovery – A brief review on Taking Leave

People are always in the process of discovering and seeking themselves. In the 1980s, the “root-seeking” literary movement emerged in Mainland China, which initiated the most influential wave of self-discovery in contemporary times. Finding oneself is also one of the most profound and reflective impressions that Taking Leave delivers to the audience. Little by little, Eliot forgets his previous glory, as well as the embarrassment of forgetting lines on the stage due to Alzheimer’s disease… At last, as his third daughter Cordelia says, “He may be a sick man in your eyes, but a fresh new man in mine”. The departure of Shadow at the end of the drama implies the departure of Eliot as a great actor and a Shakespeare expert. However, he can lead another life as a patient with Alzheimer’s disease, a life he can live like a child with no pain, no entanglement, or concerns of anything that would bother him. He becomes a “new man”, who is also a true self without the glorious shell that he has to wear in public.


Qiao, Z. (2014, June 30). The Journey of Self-discovery – A brief review on Taking Leave. Chinese Art Newspaper, p. 4.

This article is excerpted and translated from Chinese