Their Bloody Projects: Violence and Identity in Fiction by Muriel Spark and Other Writers

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K00411
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 02030:English literature and literature in the English language-related
• Research Institution: Gakushuin Women's College (2020-2023); University of Yamanashi (2018-2019)
• Principal Investigator: SAWADA CHIKAKO 学習院女子大学, 国際文化交流学部, 教授 (00456493)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: ミュリエル・スパーク / ジェンダーとアイデンティティ / 英語圏の現代小説 / バイオレンスと（流）血 / home

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study considered the construction of female identity with the keywords such as “violence” and “blood(-shedding)”(also "body" and "home") mainly in Muriel Spark's writings. The result of this Spark research is to be reflected in the writing of a volume on her for the publication of an academic book series on contemporary British writers. In line with the plan to develop this research from a global perspective, various texts by Scottish, Canadian, and Japanese writers were analyzed, and interviews with some of those writers were conducted. In relation to this research, two articles were published and three papers were given at conferences, and several special lectures by writers such as Scottish author Kevin McNeil and Akutagawa Prize-winning author Kaori Fujino were held for students.

Free Research Field

現代英語圏文学とポストモダニズム

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

20世紀を代表する英国作家の一人ミュリエル・スパークは英国の国民的人気作家イアン・ランキンやアリ・スミスら現在活躍中の作家たちに影響を与えたことがよく知られている。日本においても〈イギリスの現代作家シリーズ〉出版企画にリストアップされる重要作家であり、日本人研究者としてのグローバルな視座からの多角的研究は英文学研究への貢献における意義がある。また、本研究はアイデンティティやジェンダーに関わる今日的テーマを「バイオレンスと（流）血」など独自のキーワードで追求し、その成果を、現役作家たちを招くなどした教育の場での議論や考察につなげている点でも有意義なものである。