Faulkner's works as world literature examined through Japanese writers, Oe and Nakagami

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25370294
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Literature in English
• Research Institution: Nagoya City University
• Principal Investigator: TANAKA Takako 名古屋市立大学, 人文社会系研究科, 名誉教授 (70197440)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: フォークナー / 中上健次 / 大江健三郎 / 父権制 / ポストモダニズム / 世界文学

Outline of Final Research Achievements

World literature today takes into consideration the significance of crossing-over-the border, the relationship of minority to majority, and other racial, political, and economic issues shared in the global framework. This research re-evaluates William Faulkner as a writer of world literature through his influence on Japanese writers such as Kenzaburo Oe and Kenji Nakagami. Faulkner as a white American writer in the South belonged to majority towards the African-Americans, but minority against the North. Similarly, Oe and Nakagami, who are greatly influenced by Faulkner, respectively take a complicated position in patriarchal society in Japan. This study also examines Faulkner’s role as a cultural ambassador to Japan during the Cold War days, as an example of the tie between culture and politics.

Free Research Field

英米文学