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Writing As Aesthetic in Modern and Contemporary Japanese-Language Literature

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Writing As Aesthetic in Modern and Contemporary Japanese-Language Literature At the Intersection of Script and Literature: Writing as Aesthetic in Modern and Contemporary Japanese-language Literature Christopher J Lowy A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy University of Washington 2021 Reading Committee: Edward Mack, Chair Davinder Bhowmik Zev Handel Jeffrey Todd Knight Program Authorized to Offer Degree: Asian Languages and Literature ©Copyright 2021 Christopher J Lowy University of Washington Abstract At the Intersection of Script and Literature: Writing as Aesthetic in Modern and Contemporary Japanese-language Literature Christopher J Lowy Chair of the Supervisory Committee: Edward Mack Department of Asian Languages and Literature This dissertation examines the dynamic relationship between written language and literary fiction in modern and contemporary Japanese-language literature. I analyze how script and narration come together to function as a site of expression, and how they connect to questions of visuality, textuality, and materiality. Informed by work from the field of textual humanities, my project brings together new philological approaches to visual aspects of text in literature written in the Japanese script. Because research in English on the visual textuality of Japanese-language literature is scant, my work serves as a fundamental first-step in creating a new area of critical interest by establishing key terms and a general theoretical framework from which to approach the topic. Chapter One establishes the scope of my project and the vocabulary necessary for an analysis of script relative to narrative content; Chapter Two looks at one author’s relationship with written language; and Chapters Three and Four apply the concepts explored in Chapter One to a variety of modern and contemporary literary texts where script plays a central role. Topics discussed include the relationship between calls for postwar democracy and the establishment of a standard script; the use of non-standard (or radical) script practices in literature; the representation of dialect in literary texts; and various script practices meant to reflect internal cognitive developments of characters. This project will be of interest to scholars in the fields of literary studies and criticism, postcolonial theory, the history of writing systems, media studies, and linguistics. Acknowledgements This project took a long time to complete. At Florida State University I would not have succeeded without the encouragement of Andrew Epstein, Elaine Treharne and, of course, my Greek and Latin buddy O.P. Ayala. Yoshihiro and Masako Yasuhara, who are now family, first taught me how to read Japanese literature. I am grateful for Kumiko Suganami, Oda Miwako, and everyone else at the Miyagi University of Education for welcoming not once but twice. My years there were unforgettable, thanks in large part to the judo and karate clubs and the boys of the danshiryō. I have received support from many people at the University of Washington. I would first like to acknowledge those on my dissertation committee first: my advisor, Edward Mack, Davinder Bhowmik, Zev Handel, and Jeffrey Knight. Gratitude goes to Marshall Brown for his feedback on Chapter Four. Justin Jesty, Andrea Arai, Paul Atkins, Amy Ohta, and James Tweedie helped me think outside the box. Kaoru Ohta was both a great supervisor and friend. Thanks, too, to Nishikawa Itsuko and Iwata Akiko for teaching me how to teach Japanese. Many of the ideas developed here were born over drinks with colleagues: Sarah Clayton, Nobuko Yamasaki, Kaori Igarashi, Kai Xie, Bonnie McClure, Cindi Textor, Youngjun Kwon, Xi Zhu, Nathaniel Bond, and everyone else. Thanks for the walks, Xiaosong Li. My sincerest thanks also go to the amazing office support staff: Abby Petty, Curtis Dye, Meredith Laver, Angie Michelle, Minh Vo, Jen Miller, Anna Schnell, and Liz Self. I am equally indebted to my colleagues in Japan. My deepest gratitude goes to Kurihara Yutaka, the most well-read person I know, for inviting me to his reading group. It was there that I met Hattori Tetsuya, a source of inspiration and one of my dearest friends. There I also met Nagase Kai, who introduced me to the late Katо̄ Norihiro. At Waseda, Takemoto Mikio taught me how to iv read Zeami while Satо̄ Kо̄ ichi taught me how to read Du Fu. Waseda was also where I met Azuma Hiroki. Not only an early supporter of my work, he gave me my first opportunity to publish. I am also indebted to Konno Shinji, an intellectual giant and mentor, who has been beyond generous with his time. The whitewolf poet Suga Keijiro has been an inspiration. Youngran Ko and Takahashi Osamu have supported my work, and Fukuo Haruka taught me much about contemporary poetry. Tsuboi Hideto has provided comradery and countless conversations. Thanks are also in order for Matt Mewhinney, a scholar and a friend. I would like to acknowledge the institutions that provided me with financial support: the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT); the Japan Foundation; Modern Languages Quarterly; and the Fritz International Research Fellowship. Finally, a special thanks to Japan Studies at the U.W. for funding numerous travel and workshop grants. None of these would have been possible without the tireless work of Ellen Eskenazi and Martha Walsh. Without my friends this project would not have been possible. Sachi Hori-Schmidt has helped every step of the way. Mikey & Willie, thanks for being patient with me. Yuki Shigeto and Michael LeFevre: I can’t wait for our next glass of wine. Ruizhi Li: thanks for always offering an ear of support. Yuta, Gen, and Ross: you’ve been nothing less than amazing. Bruce Suttmeier, thanks for always making time for me when I know you don’t have much to spare. Thank you for everything, Seth Jacobowitz. I’m forever grateful for the generosity, mentorship, and friendship of John Treat and Doug Lind. Raechel Dumas and John Gove: thanks for being wild, but… I must thank Andrew, ZQ, and the girls for providing me not only with a place to live but a Seattle family. Lastly, I thank Bo and Gen for giving me shelter when I needed it. v Yuki, Bo, Hang, and Bowen: thanks for being there when I needed you most. You all are represented in different parts of this dissertation. Finally, I offer my sincerest love and thanks to my sister Katie, one of the kindest people I know, and to my parents, Louie & Carol, for their unwavering faith in me. I dedicate this work to my grandparents, none of whom were able to see me finish it. vi Table of Contents ABSTRACT ...................................................................................................................................... III ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................................................. IV TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................................... VII INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................... 2 1.1 SUMMARY OF CHAPTERS........................................................................................................ 8 AN OVERVIEW OF WRITTEN JAPANESE ................................................................... 14 1.1 WRITTEN LANGUAGE AND LITERARY STUDIES .................................................................... 20 1.2 SOME GENERAL TERMS: WRITING, INSCRIPTION, AND ARCHITECTURE OF SCRIPT .............. 30 1.2.1 Writing ......................................................................................................................... 30 1.2.2 Inscription .................................................................................................................... 32 1.2.3 Architecture of script ................................................................................................... 35 1.3 THE ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS OF WRITTEN JAPANESE ................................................... 36 1.3.1 Three Standardized Primary Character Sets: (a) Kanji ................................................ 37 1.3.2 Three Standardized Primary Character Sets: (b) Hiragana and (c) Katakana ............. 42 1.3.3 Three Standardized Primary Character Sets: Standardization ..................................... 45 1.3.4 Typographic Markers ................................................................................................... 46 1.3.5 Bidirectionality ............................................................................................................ 51 1.3.6 Predictable Space Distribution ..................................................................................... 53 1.3.7 Interlinear Glosses ....................................................................................................... 59 1.3.8 The Base Text .............................................................................................................. 61 1.3.9 Interchangeability ........................................................................................................ 68 1.3.10 An Expansive (or “Open”) Set of Kanji .................................................................... 69 AN APPEAL TO THE EYES ......................................................................................... 79 2.1 SCRIPT AS EXTERNAL FORM ...............................................................................................
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