本文企圖由對「文化」的思考開始，根據Williams文化應該是屬於一般大眾的Culture is Ordinary.(R. Williams, 1958)，是由中下階級因社會生活經驗不斷累積所產生的資產。由此釐清布袋戲文化的本質，並利用Althussur、Gramsci等人的觀點，試圖轉向論述並詮釋布袋戲在台灣社會中，面臨不同統治當局，不同的社會歷史脈絡下，布袋戲的角色、定位、與對當局者的抗爭過程。
英文摘要
On the contrary to the elite culture, puppetry is a kind of popular culture. Besides, it had been deeply connected to people ’s daily life, since it propagated from mainland China.
From the Beginning, puppetry, one form of folkway culture, played on the outdoor platform, is a traditional inherited property. Puppetry culture handed down decades in Taiwan form Ming Dynasty, Chin Dynasty, Japanese government, to KMT Government. During the history in Taiwan, in order to survive, puppetry as a native culture had to continuously resist, accept, and negotiate with the authority.
This article will consider the meaning of culture at fist. According to R. Williams “Culture is Ordinary” as a start. Trying to clarify the point: culture is a traditional inherited property from people ’s daily life. And trying to use L. Althusser ’s idea “Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses”, and A. Gramsci ’s “Hegemony” , transfered and illustrated the role of puppetry when it in different historical period faced the different authority. Finally, this article will cope with the process of the position of puppetry as it resisted, accepted, and negotiated to the government.