Internment Camp Stories by Japanese American Sansei Writers

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K00382
• 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: Yamagata University
• Principal Investigator: Sato Kiyoto 山形大学, 人文社会科学部, 名誉教授 (80178722)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 日系アメリカ人 / 強制収容 / Julie Otsuka / Cynthia Kadohata / ミステリー小説 / Dale Furutani / Naomi Hirahara

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Japanese American Issei (first generation) and Nisei (second generation) writers wrote their writings on the basis of their experiences during the period of the Pacific War. How Sansei (third generation) writers, on the other hand, who were mostly born after World War II, have created their novels? My study is to answer the question by analyzing the novels of four Japanese American Sansei novelists. Julie Otsuka wrote her novels imitating her predecessors but employing new narrative devices. Cynthia Kadohata not only describes anti-Japanese feelings but also mentions racial discrimination in America in general. Naomi Hirahara and Dale Furutani have written many novels of mystery that is one of the most popular literary forms. Through mysteries, they must have introduced the history of Japanese Americans to more and more readers. Thus, Japanese American Sansei writers are successful in developing internment stories by Nisei.

Free Research Field

英米文学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は日系アメリカ人三世の作家が一世や二世の作家による「強制収容」物語を単に繰り返したのではなく、より発展させたことを明らかにした。同じ「強制収容」物語であっても、世代によってアプローチの方法は異なっているのである。世代の相違に着目する日系アメリカ文学の研究がこれまでなかったわけではないが、本研究はそうした視点の重要性をより鮮明にした。とりわけ、強制収容における人種差別の問題について、これまでは日系アメリカ人固有の問題と見なされることが多かったが、Cynthia Kadohataはそうした問題をアメリカのより一般的な人種差別の問題に引き上げることに成功したことを本研究は明らかにした。