Loyalty, authority, and the demand of freedom: a comparative study in Japanese and German literature around 1900 based on a theory of recognition

2021 Fiscal Year Research-status Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K00521
• Research Institution: Hiroshima University
• Principal Investigator: シュラルプ ハンス・ミヒャエル 広島大学, 人間社会科学研究科(総), 准教授 (00585565)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: Fontane / resentment

Outline of Annual Research Achievements

Research in FY 2021 concentrated on analyzing Fontane’s novel "Cecile“ from the angle of the correlation between emotions, long term beliefs and observing people, drawing partially on Ciompi’s “The Emotional Foundations of Thinking” (1997). Fontane’s novel shows, how the “world view” of the male protagonist is influenced heavily be traits of resentment, which in turn are due to changes in his social position, and lead to several moralizing attacks and suspicions against members of both groups as well as individuals. As a globally active technician, the protagonist is very modern figure and shows some similarities to Ogai’s protagonist in “Maihime” (and “Fusinchu”), not at least with regard to the aspect of loyalty and the difficulty to maintain it. In this respect, the study, which was conducted on the basis of an invitation to participate in a book publication (in Japanese) planned for autumn 2022, is entirely justified, even if putting the focus only on a novel by Fontane may look like a diversion.

Current Status of Research Progress

4: Progress in research has been delayed.

Reason

Delay is - as in the previous year - due to an increased administration and teaching load, and above all, the changes in class preparation caused by the shift to online teaching durng the corona crises. Therefore the expected effort level could not be reached.

Strategy for Future Research Activity

As the research plan for FY 2021 was even more difficult to carry out as the plan for FY 2020, the plan for the final year remains practically almost the same: It is still planned to look at Ogai’s Oshio Heihachiro“ and how its relation to his translation (and explanations) of Goethe’s "Goetz von Berlichingen“ has to be assessed. As the subject sof a comparison, Fontane’s novels "Vor dem Sturm“ and “Quitt”, as well as smaller fragments come into question, which describe more politically or personally motivated uprisings, while Ogai seems to concentrate on the social aspects. While this makes a comparison rather delicate, the implications for the understanding of the right forms of authority both authors display in these works can certainly be worked out.
But above all a comparison of Fontane’s "Effi Briest“ and Ogai’s "Maihime“ (while drawing also on “As if” and similar works) from the angle of authority and disengagement will be carried out in order to arrive at least at a more or less preliminary conclusion of the research project.

Causes of Carryover

Delay in research and almost no travel expense.
It is planned to use the remaining money - as far as possible - for one or two visits at Tokio University's library, personal expenses (up to 200,000 yen) and the rest for materials (mainly books on or by Fontane).