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Information to Users INFORMATION TO USERS This manuscript has been reproduced from the microfilm master. UMI films the text directly from the original or copy submitted. Thus, some thesis and dissertation copies are in typewriter frtce, while others may be from any type of computer printer. The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleedthrough, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send UMI a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Oversize materials (e.g., maps, drawings, charts) are reproduced by sectioning the original, beginning at the upper left-hand comer and continuing from left to right in equal sections with small overlaps Each original is also photographed in one exposure and is included in reduced form at the back of the book. Photographs included in the original manuscript have been reproduced xerographically in this copy. Higher quality 6” x 9” black and white photographic prints are available for any photographs or illustrations appearing in this copy for an additional charge. Contact UMI directly to order. UMI A Bell & Howell Infbnnation Compai^ 300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor MI 48106-1346 USA 313/761-4700 800/521-0600 FROM PATRIOTISM TO IMPERIALISM: __ A STUDY OF THE POLITICAL IDEALS OF KAJIN NO KIGU. A MEUI POLITICAL NOVEL DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Guohe Zheng, B.A. M.A. ***** The Ohio State University 1997 Dissertation Committee. Approved by Professor William Tyler, Adviser Professor Richard Torrance Professor Yan-shuan Lao Adviser East Asian Languages and Literatures UMI Number: 9731755 UMI Microform 9731755 Copyright 1997, by UMI Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. UMI 300 North Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, MI 48103 Copyright by Guohe Zheng 1997 ABSTRACT It is held that modem Japanese literature deals largely with aesthetic issues or human emotions and shows little concern over the fete of the nation. This dissertation argues that there is another dimension to modem Japanese literature by examining the political ideals o fKajin no Idffli (Strange Encounters with Beautifiil Women), a Meiji political novel published in installments from 1885 to 1897 by Shiba Shiro (1852-1922). The study begins with a survey of the critical history of the novel, in which it is demonstrated that Kalin no kicai has been characterized as a masterpiece of patriotism by some scholars. The survey is followed first by a biography of the author, in which the major stages in the formation of his political views are reconstructed, and then by a synopsis o fKajin no kieü which gives context to the discussion of the political ideals of the novel. The author’s patriotic enthusiasms are best seen in his prioritizing national sovereignty over individual freedom, his sympathy for the weak nations of the world, and his anxiety over the fete of Japan in the fece of “the alarming encroachment of the European powers.” While the author’s patriotism is genuine, a careful reading of the text reveals that the novel also contains passages that openly advocate Japanese expansionism, and that the political ideals of the author undergo a shift from patriotism to imperialism. The shift is seen, for example, in the uncharacteristic advocacy of expansionism by characters from downtrodden i i countries and in the change in the author’s attitudes toward the ideal of Asian solidarity. It is argued that this shift reflects and forms part of a broad trend among Meiji intellectuals toward advocacy of Japanese expansionism. In conclusion, the dissertation turns to the question of how to characterize Kajinno kigu as a literary and political artiAct. Given the analysis presented in this dissertation, it is inaccurate and mideading to call the novel simply a work of patriotism, as has often been the case in past scholarship. On the other hand, there is another dimension that needs to be revisited if we are to develop a more comprehensive view of modem Japanese literature. Ill To Chen Junsen, my best friend, and my family IV ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I wish to express my sincere appreciation to my adviser. Professor William Tyler, for introducing me to Meiji political novels and guiding me throughout my research on Kaiin no kigu. the focus of this dissertation. I am particularly grateful for his extensive and insightful comments without which I could not have shaped many earlier drafts o f the dissertation into its present form. My sincere appreciation goes as well to the other members of my dissertation committee. Professors Richard Torrance and Yan-shuan Lao. Professor Torrance not only provided me wth information on several crucial sources used in the research but also helped me reorganize various elements of the project. Professor Lao has been the source of consultation on the numerous allusions made in the novel to Chinese history and classical Chinese literature. I am indebted to a number of people in Japan from whom I benefited greatly in the course of my dissertation research in Tokyo, 1995-1996. Professor Hiraoka Toshio, President of Gunma Prefectural Women’s University, not only inspired me with his own extensive research on Meiji political novels but also introduced me to many younger Japanese scholars in the field. Onuma Toshio, of Nihon University, generously lent me his private collection of the rare copies of Shiba Shiro’s works; Kanro Junki, of Naoya University, kindly shared with me his latest research on the lawsuit involving Kajin no V kigu: Nishidaya Hiroshi, of Kanazawa University, provided me with an exhaustive bibliography of Meiji political novels of his own compilation. I am also indebted to Professor Hariu Kiyoto and Ms. Takeuchi Toshiko and many other members of the Asia- Africa Cultural Research Institute at Toyo University, whose kindness made my stay in Tokyo both enjoyable and productive. Ms. Fujii Shoko and Ms. Hatakeyaraa Kumi, of the Meiji Shimbun Zasshi Bunko of University of Tokyo, were of invaluable help in locating many Meiji materials that were indispensable for this project. Thanks also go to Professors James Bartholomew and Maureen Donovan of the Ohio State University for their various support to me in Japan; to Professor William Hoover, of the University of Toledo, who provided me with interesting materials on Kaiin no kigu while we were both in Tokyo; to Mr. Shiraishi of the Rare Book Collection, Keio University, for giving me access to the manuscript of Kaiin no kigu: to Professor of Chinese literature, Yamada Keizo, of Kobe University, for bringing several points to my attention concerning the author o fKajin no kigu: and to Professor of Japanese literature, Fukuda Hideichi, of International Christian University, who chaired my paper presentation on Kajin no kigu at the Toho Gakkai Conference in May 1996. Finally, I want to thank the Japan Foundation and the Graduate School of the Ohio State University. A doctoral fellowship from the former supported my research in Japan in the 1995-1996 academic year, and a Presidential Fellowship from the latter enabled me to complete my dissertation one year after my return to the US from Japan. VI VITA July 16, 1952.........................................Bom -Wuhan, China 1982...................................................... B.A. Wuhan University of Hydraulic and Electric Engineering, Wuhan, China 1989.......................................................MA. The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio (Linguistics) 1993 .......................................................M.A. The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio (Medieval Japanese Literature) 1991-1994.............................................. Graduate teaching assistant. Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures, the Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 1990- 1991 1994-1995............................................. Teacher of Japanese language, Dublin CoflSnan High School, Ohio PUBLICATIONS Research Publication 1. Guohe Zheng. “Dazai Osamu no Sekibetsu ni miru senso kyoryoku to senso teiko” (Protest and Cooperation in Dazai Osamu’s Regretful Partingl. Annual Journal of the Asia- Afiica Cultural Research Institute. Tovo Universitv 31 (1996): 222-227. FIELDS OF STUDY Major Field: East Asian Languages and Literatures Modem Japanese Language and Literature V l l TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Abstract............................................................................................................................ ii Dedication ......................................................................................................................... iv Acknowledgments ............................................................................................................. v Vita..................................................................................................................................vii Abbreviations ................................................................................................................... be List of Illustrations ............................................................................................................ x Chapters:
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