Robinsonades for Children in Japan: A Consideration of "Power to Live" Represented by "Food" in Children's Literature

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K02431
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Japanese literature
• Research Institution: Kawaguchi Junior College
• Principal Investigator: Mizuma Chie 川口短期大学, こども学科, 教授 (20591803)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 児童文学 / 児童文化 / ロビンソン変形譚 / ジェンダー / 文学史 / 冒険小説 / 読書推進

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The Robinsonade is a literary genre that has its origin in Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe. Since the novel’s publication in 1719, many abridged versions and imitations for children have been published all over the world. Japanese children, too, have enjoyed various Robinsonades since the Meiji period, both through translations and Japanese original versions.
This study clarifies the history of the Robinsonade for children in Japan and sheds new light on the history of modern Japanese children’s literature. Focusing on the “food” depicted in the Robinsonades that were written by both Japanese and foreign authors, we can see the changing ideology of children’s books, the dynamics of children’s literature, and adults’ expectations for children.

Free Research Field

児童文学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究の成果は、次のような点にその意義が認められる。(1)日本におけるロビンソン変形譚の歴史を明らかにすることによって、近現代日本児童文学史に新たな情報を加えた。(2)「食」をめぐる表現の分析を通じて、児童文学作品が現代社会を生きる子どもたちに与える力を明らかにした。(3)児童文学のもつイデオロギー性を、ナショナリズムやジェンダーの観点から明らかにし、読者の役割について指摘した。(4)アニメーション版ロビンソン変形譚研究に先鞭をつけた。(5)児童文学作品を通して異文化理解や歴史認識を学ぶことの危うさを指摘し、大人の媒介者の役割について提言を行った。