Gender Studies on Representations of Siblings in Modern British Drama

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K02489
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Literature in English
• Research Institution: Rikkyo University
• Principal Investigator: Iwata Miki 立教大学, 文学部, 教授 (50361051)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: イギリス・アイルランド演劇 / 家族表象 / ジェンダー論 / 女性表象

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This research project aimed at the dynamic relationship of the changes of the idea of the ‘family’ in drama and society, through the analyses of representations of families (especially those of siblings) in British and Irish drama.
The unusual length of the periods with which this research dealt led to the extraordinary numbers of playwrights to be read, but, partly because I got an extra year for this research, I could publish constantly essays on plays from the early modern era to the present both in English and in Japanese. These individual essays, read as a group, would prove that the role of sisters in plays has been steadily increased its importance as we approach the modern age. I expect to publish this project’s comprehensive results as a monograph within 1~2 years after the end of the research period.

Free Research Field

英米文学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究の成果としては、兄弟姉妹の表象というテーマを軸に、かつてない広範な時代に渡ってイギリスおよびアイルランドの戯曲を渉猟し、比較検討を行ったことが挙げられる。具体的には、これまで並べて論じられることなどほとんど考えられなかったシェイクスピアの『十二夜』（1600頃）とキャリル・チャーチルの『トップ・ガールズ』（1982）が、〈シスターフッド〉という概念を鍵として相互に再考できる可能性が本研究によって明らかになった。このようにして、本研究はイギリス・アイルランド演劇研究の射程を拡大することに貢献したといえるだろう。