Ethical Identity Recognition and Political Choice: The Revised Editions and Reissue of the Kangzhan ertong [The Children in the War against Invasion]

This article reviews the four editions of the children's magazine Kangzhan ertong [The children in the war against invasion]. Edited and contributed by members of children's theatrical troupes across China, these magazines exemplify children's participation in mobilising the nation during the Sino-Japanese War. Applying Nie Zhenzhao's ethical literary criticism, the study interprets the magazines as reflecting shifts in children's ethical identity recognition and ethical selection as they navigate their identities within the war, highlighting their ethical dilemmas: balancing national duty with individual fate, confronting harsh reality versus preserving innocent ideals, and transition from youthful idealism toward national responsibility.