九二一大地震震動整個臺灣，一時之間成為大事，甚至躍上國際舞臺。地震後三牛的因常生活裡，震後地貌不復可得，眾傳媒退潮，只有少數人念茲在茲。在這樣的情況下，小敘述出自個別的在地或局部經驗，雖各不相同，但到處皆在，成了傳述九二一大地震最有力的方式，透過眾多小敘述九二一大地震得以進入一般人的生活和記憶。 本論文提出偵人文的角度，來討論形塑九二一大地震的記憶工程，以日常生活的小敘述來檢視人文和藝術工作者的作品。李歐塔(Lyotard)和德．瑟鐸(Michel de Certeau)的理論適切的提供了討論的入門途，本論文從李歐塔的事件、大敘述和小敘述，和德．瑟鐸所般一人的日常生活著手，提出日常生活的小敘述，有異於李歐塔的崇高美學，也對同於德．瑟鐸日復一日的行動，來闡述相關於九二一大地震的文史、藝術作品，探討兩部紀錄片、一部動畫，和三個裝置藝術。最後以想像的社群做結，通過想像的模式，建立家園意識。 文化與記憶的工程和硬體建設的工程同等重最，九二一大地震除了重建和防災的工程之外，還必須透過有意或無意的創作或轉化，在我們的生活裡留下地位，產生作用，而不是事過境遷，一切照常。內在的變化，雖然不像外在變化，其形自明，但其影響有甚於工程建設或政治較量，也因此人文論述的工程不可或缺，其理方得彰顯。

In the night at 2:47 am on September 21 (921) in 1999 people in Taiwan shared the horrific experience of an earthquake measured 7.3 on the Richter scale, its epicenter located in Chi-chi in central Taiwan. The disaster made to the cover story of Time magazine, and had been the sole concern for two months in Taiwan. However, 3 years from then the Earthquake all but disappears from the grand narratives of monumental time as the media’s enthusiasm recedes. Conversely the little narratives become all the more important for preserving the memory of the event. In an attempt to validate the thriving act of narrative making about Chi-chi Earthquake in Taiwan, this paper takes as its pint of departure Lyotard’s idea of grand and little narratives and de Certeau’s idea of ordinary life, but adjusts their ideas to explore the possibility and forms of little narratives in the order of ordinary life. Among all the mentionable efforts to represent Chi-chi Earthquake, 6 cases are especially chosen for a detailed discussion to elucidate my points: firstly the unexpected footages of the earthquake in two documentaries on unrelated topics; secondly a 7-minute animation production by an independent animator; and thirdly 3 works in the special exhibition for the second anniversary of Chi-chi Earthquake. As the government, trapped in bureaucracy and vehement political feuds, is incapable of creating a grand narrative worthy of the event, the little narratives found in works of independent cultural and artistic professionals contribute significantly to imagining Taiwan as a community.