Female Issues and Relationship Constellations. the Literary World Of
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Donath str tyt.indd 1 2010-02-22 16:09:39 Diana Donath Female Issues and Relationship Constellations The Literary World of Mori Yôko and Other Japanese Women Writers Jagiellonian University Press Donath str tyt.indd 2 2010-02-22 16:09:39 This volume was supported by the Jagiellonian University – Faculty of Philology Reviewers Prof. Dr. Judit Arokay Prof. Dr. Noriko Thunman Prof. Dr. Paul McCarthy Cover design Agnieszka Winciorek Technical editor Robert Mitoraj Proofreading Dr. Margarete Donath Grzegorz Korczyński Typesetting Regina Wojtyłko © Copyright by Diana Donath and Jagiellonian University Press First edition, Kraków 2010 All rights reserved ISBN 978-83-233-2755-4 No part of this book may be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the Author and the Publisher. www.wuj.pl Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego Redakcja: ul. Michałowskiego 9/2, 31-126 Kraków tel. 012-631-18-81, 012-631-18-82, tel./fax 012-631-18-83 Dystrybucja: ul. Wrocławska 53, 30-011 Kraków tel. 012-631-01-97, tel./fax 012-631-01-98 tel. kom. 0506-006-674, e-mail: [email protected] Konto: PEKAO SA O/Kraków, nr 62 1060 0076 0000 3200 0047 8769 CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION: On subject, structure and methodological approach of the study .......................................................................... 9 II. BIOGRAPHY: The author Mori Yôko .............................................. 21 III. INTRATEXTUAL ANALYSIS of the novels Kizu, Shitto, Jôji, Yûwaku and Atsui kaze and of the short story collections Beddo no otogibanashi and Beddo no otogibanashi Part II ............................... 33 III.A. Formal criteria .......................................................................... 33 III.A.1. Stylistic means of language ...................................... 33 III.A.2. Function of the dialogue ........................................... 41 III.A.3. Quickly progressing narration in the short stories 45 III.A.4. Slowly progressing narration by means of repetition and discussion in the novels .................. 47 III.A.5. Temporal references in the short stories ................. 51 III.A.6. Dissection of the plot through different temporal levels in the novels ..................................................... 55 III.A.7. Scenery and atmosphere ........................................... 59 III.A.8. Stylistic means of depicting the eyesight and the individual perception ......................................... 65 III.A.9. Conceptions of the ending ....................................... 69 III.B. Substantial criteria................................................................... 73 III.B.1. The basic subject: Man-woman relationships ......... 73 III.B.2. Female issues and feminist tendencies .................... 87 III.B.3. Realistic depiction and psychological understanding ............................................................ 97 III.B.4. Portrayal of the prosperous and Westernized Japanese middle class during the “bubble era” ..... 105 III.C. Additional substantial criteria of the five novels .............. 111 III.C.1. Characterization of the female protagonists .......... 111 III.C.2. Relationship constellations and literary intentions of the novels ................................................................ 119 III.C.3. Confrontation with foreigners and foreign countries 131 III.C.4. Depiction of artists and homosexuals ...................... 137 III.C.5. Mental features of rivalry, egocentrism and masochism ................................................................... 141 IV. MORI YÔKO‘S WOMAN‘S IMAGE in the novels and the short stories .................................................................................... 147 V. ON THE CLASSIFICATION OF MORI YÔKO‘S LITERATURE 159 V.A. Mori Yôko’s works as semi-autobiographical fiction ........ 159 V.B. Mori Yôko’s writing as upper-level entertainment literature ...................................................................................... 165 V.C. Mori Yôko’s writing in the context of literature by women writers of the 1960s–1980s ........................................................ 179 V.C.1. General criteria of Japanese women’s literature ................... 179 V.C.2. Female issues in the works of women writers of the 1960s to the 1980s in comparison to Mori Yôko .............................. 187 V.C.2.1. Female issues in the works of Setouchi Harumi ................ 189 V.C.2.2. Female issues in the works of Tsumura Setsuko ............... 195 V.C.2.3. Female issues in the works of Mukôda Kuniko ................. 199 V.C.2.4. Female issues in the works of Saegusa Kazuko ................. 203 V.C.2.5. Female issues in the works of Tomioka Taeko ................... 207 V.C.2.6. Female issues in the works of Takahashi Takako .............. 211 V.C.2.7. Female issues in the works of Ôba Minako ........................ 215 V.C.2.8. Female issues in the works of Kôno Taeko ......................... 221 V.C.2.9. Female issues in the works of Tsushima Yûko .................. 227 V.C.2.10. Female issues in the works of Yamada Eimi .................... 233 V.C.2.11. Foreign experiences and female issues in the works of Yamamoto Michiko ............................................................... 239 V.C.2.12. Foreign experiences and female issues in the works of Kometani Fumiko ................................................................. 243 V.C.2.13. Foreign experiences and female issues in the works of Ui Einjeru ................................................................................. 245 V.C.3. Summarizing synopsis of the comparabilities of the women writers with Mori Yôko ............................................................. 249 VI. APPENDICES ...................................................................................... 257 VI.A. Summary of the study .............................................................. 257 VI.B. Japanese summary (Gaiyô) ...................................................... 263 VI.C.1. Book publications by Mori Yôko in chronological order .. 269 VI.C.2. Book publications by Mori Yôko in alphabetical order ..... 277 VI.D. Japanese magazine articles on and by Mori Yôko ............... 285 VI.E. Bibliography ............................................................................... 297 VI.F. Glossary ....................................................................................... 313 TITLES OF THE ANALYZED WORKS BY MORI YÔKO THE FIVE NOVELS: 1. Kizu (Injury; Oct. 1981) Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 2. Shitto (Jealousy; Nov. 1980) Chapter 1 Nagisa no shi (Death on the Shore) Chapter 2 Piero (The Clown) 3. Jôji (Love Affair / Summer Love; Dec. 1978) 4. Yûwaku (Seduction; Feb. 1980) 5. Atsui kaze (Tropical Wind; Oct. 1982) Chapter 1 Oh Dad, please Chapter 2 Sausurando hoteru ni te (In the Southland Hotel) Chapter 3 Aru hatan (The Failure of a Marriage) Chapter 4 Meishen Sote no koto (The Vietnamese Woman Meishen) Chapter 5 Atsui kaze (Tropical Wind) THE 55 SHORT STORIES: I. The 34 short stories of Beddo no otogibanashi (1986) 1. Niwaka-ame (Sudden Shower) 2. Kurejitto kâdo (Credit Card) 3. Buradî merî (Bloody Mary) 4. Nijûgo-ji (The Thirteenth Hour) 5. Kinyôbi no otoko (The Friday Man) 6. Onna-tomodachi (Women Friends) 7. Uso (Lies) 8. Ofisu rabu( Office Love) 9. Yoru no henshûshitsu (At Night in the Editorial Office) 10. Dôsôkai (Alumni Meeting) 11. Tomodachi no otto (Her Friend’s Husband) 12. Onna-gokoro (A Woman’s Heart) 13. Kurisumasu iwu (Christmas Eve) 14. Kamikiriya (The Hairdresser) 15. Hisui no mimi-kazari (The Jade Earring) 16. Neko to Aregurîa (Alegría and the Cat) 17. Kûsha machi (Waiting for a Free Cab) 18. Sasayaka na kôfuku (Her Humble Happiness) 19. Koi no aite (Her Lover) 20. Kappuruzu (Couples) 21. Mae ni, doko ka de (Have We Met Before) 22. Kureijî naito (Crazy Night) 23. Kagami no naka no onna (The Woman in the Mirror) 24. Mayonaka no denwa (A Call in the Night) 25. Kekkon kinenbi (Wedding Anniversary) 26. Shimai (Sisters) 27. Haru no arashi (Spring Storm) 28. Bara no toge (Roses and Thorns) 29. Nioi (Smell) 30. Umi to kaze to (Sea and Breeze) 31. Shiawase no fûkei (Home, Sweet Home) 32. Ippô tsûkô (One-way Traffic) 33. Yogoreta tsume (Dirty Nails) 34. Beddo no naka e (Straight to Bed) II. 21 of the 40 short stories of Beddo no otogibanashi Part II (1989) 1. Jinsei-sôdan (Agony Advice) 3. Mi-shiranu tsuma (The Unknown Wife) 4. Sarasôju no hana no iro (The Colour of the Sal-Flower) 5. Kaika no tsuma (The Wife Downstairs) 6. Rikon-jidai (A Time for Divorces) 10. Hanamichi (Exit on the Runway) 11. Kyaria ûman (Career Woman) 14. Daburu shitsuren (Double Loss of Love) 15. Yûwaku (Seduction) 18. Fuyu no asa (Winter Morning) 19. Aru asa totsuzen ni (One Morning All of a Sudden) 20. Bitamin ai (A Vitamin Called Love) 21. Yuki (Snow) 22. Ha-burashi (The Toothbrush) 24. Futari (Two People) 26. Takarakuji (Lottery Card) 30. Kayôbi no onna (The Tuesday Woman) 31. Ko-zure no otoko (Man With a Child) 35. Jishin (Earthquake) 38. Azen (Dumbfounded) 40. Te (Hands) I. INTRODUCTION On subject, structure and methodological approach of the study The first aim of my study is to examine Mori Yôko’s (1940–1993) various depictions of gender constructions and to point out that the author has created a new woman’s image in several regards by describing the woman’s awareness of life, her self-esteem and her rebellion