Japanese women have been scripted by Western (male) imagination as gentle, self-effacing creatures. From their (re)emergence in the late 19th century to their dominance in the late 20th, Japanese women writers have presented an image of their countrywomen as anything but demure. Struggling to define their voices against ever-shifting expectations and social contexts, the women they create in their fiction are valiant, if not at times violent. This course examines the various manifestations of the female image in female-authored modern Japanese fiction. Writers considered are Higuchi Ichiyo, Hirabayashi Taiko, Uno Chiyo, Enchi Fumiko, Yamada Eimi, and others. A selection of novels and shorter fiction are available in English translation, and students need not be familiar with Japanese. Prior coursework in literature/women's studies may be helpful. Undergraduates enroll in the 400-level section; 500-level section is for graduate students only. Prerequisite: junior level or above or permission of instructor.
Course Attributes: EN H; AS HUM; AS LCD; AS SD I
